The African Development Bank (AfDB) has entered a new era of leadership as Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina handed over to his successor, Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah, marking the end of a transformative decade at the helm of Africa’s premier financial institution. Adesina, who served two five-year terms after his election in 2015, left the AfDB with an expanded profile, historic investments in infrastructure, and a bold agenda for the continent’s future.
A former Nigerian minister of agriculture, Adesina anchored his tenure on the AfDB’s “High 5” priorities: Light up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for Africans. These initiatives aligned closely with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and helped position the bank as a leading player in Africa’s development drive.
Under the Light Up and Power Africa initiative, the AfDB funded renewable energy projects such as Morocco’s Noor Solar Complex and expanded rural electrification. Adesina repeatedly highlighted the urgency of closing Africa’s energy gap, noting at a recent summit in Lagos that more than 600 million people across the continent still lack access to electricity. He stressed that Africa’s vast renewable energy potential—11 terawatts of solar, 350 gigawatts of hydro, 150 gigawatts of wind and 15 gigawatts of geothermal—remains largely untapped.
The AfDB, in partnership with the World Bank, also launched “Mission 300,” an ambitious program to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. “This requires public and private sector investments. The energy compacts for the first 12 countries totals $127 billion with over $61 billion expected from the private sector,” Adesina said.
The Feed Africa program sought to tackle hunger through irrigation, modern farming techniques, and stronger agricultural value chains, helping millions of smallholder farmers improve yields and incomes. The bank also pushed for industrialisation by supporting infrastructure, SMEs, and manufacturing, while promoting integration through cross-border trade corridors and regional projects.
One of Adesina’s most visible legacies is AfDB’s massive investment in infrastructure. More than $50 billion was committed under his leadership, fueling growth in transport, energy, and social services. In 2023 alone, AfDB financing exceeded $10 billion, directly impacting over 400 million Africans since the High 5 priorities were launched in 2016. Farmers, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens benefited through better roads, health services, sanitation, and access to finance.
The AfDB’s balance sheet expanded dramatically, with capital growth soaring from $93 billion in 2015 to $318 billion in 2025—a 241.9 percent increase. The African Development Fund was also replenished, raising $8.9 billion and extending benefits to nearly half a billion Africans.
Adesina’s achievements earned him global recognition, from Kenya’s highest national honor to awards by the Corporate Council on Africa. At a farewell ceremony in Abidjan themed “Akinwumi A. Adesina: The Man, His Mandate, Mission and Message”, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu praised his legacy, noting that the High 5 agenda “drove economic growth, improved food security and promoted regional integration across the continent.”
The transition to new leadership began in May, when AfDB shareholders elected Sidi Ould Tah as the institution’s new president. Tah, a Mauritanian economist with more than 35 years in African and global finance, previously led the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he quadrupled the bank’s balance sheet and secured a AAA rating. His inauguration in Abidjan was attended by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, alongside Adesina and other dignitaries.
President Ghazouani, in remarks at the ceremony, said, “Dr Sidi Ould Tah has this heavy responsibility to ensure that the bank enhances its key role in promoting the economic and social development of the continent for it to remain a full lever in terms of fulfilling the aspirations of African people to peace, prosperity and development.”
In his acceptance speech, Tah pledged to build on the AfDB’s legacy while reshaping it for emerging challenges. He outlined four immediate priorities: listening intently, launching a fast-track reform agenda, deepening partnerships, and accelerating solutions for Africa’s most pressing needs. “Africa must look North, South, East and West, not to imitate but to draw wisdom and strength from every direction while defining its own course,” he said.
Tah also committed to strengthening partnerships with governments, the private sector, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and new financial actors. He emphasized the need for peace-focused investments, saying the bank must urgently revisit its models to include a dedicated pillar for peacebuilding and stability.
Economists say Tah inherits a stronger, more visible AfDB but faces the daunting task of sustaining its momentum amid global economic volatility, climate challenges, and rising debt across African nations. “The institution itself has made impact, and whoever gets there is just to hold the steering and keep moving,” said economist Marcel Okeke. “The former chief executive has lifted the profile and impact of that institution, and whoever is coming has to sustain the tempo somehow.”
As Africa’s leading development bank charts its next chapter under Sidi Ould Tah, the challenge will be to preserve Adesina’s legacy while adapting to shifting global realities and ensuring the AfDB remains central to the continent’s push for inclusive growth, energy access, and prosperity.