ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire — The African Development Bank Group will elect its next president on May 29, 2025, during its Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, as Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina’s decade-long leadership of the institution draws to a close.
The election, set to be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, comes after two consecutive terms served by Adesina, a Nigerian national first elected president on May 28, 2015, and re-elected on Aug. 27, 2020.
Adesina, a bold reformer, previously served as Nigeria’s minister of agriculture from 2011 to 2015, where he transformed the sector by ending 40 years of corruption in the fertilizer supply chain.
He pioneered an electronic wallet system that delivered subsidized farm inputs directly to farmers via mobile phones. Within four years, the initiative reached 15 million farmers, significantly improving rural livelihoods.
As president of the Bank, Adesina oversaw its largest capital increase since its founding in 1964. On Oct. 31, 2019, shareholders from 80 member countries raised the general capital from $93 billion to a historic $208 billion.
Under his leadership, the Bank also responded decisively to the COVID-19 pandemic, launching a landmark $3 billion COVID-19 Social Bond on April 3, 2020, followed by a $10 billion Crisis Response Facility.
Under Article 1 of the Bank’s election rules, the vote is held during the Annual Meeting closest to the end of the sitting president’s tenure.
Governors from the Bank’s 81 member countries will gather in Abidjan from May 26 to May 30, 2025, to discuss the Bank’s future and select its next leader.
The election will follow a formal conversation between the Board and each candidate on May 28, allowing governors to hear directly from the contenders.
The Steering Committee overseeing the election process met Feb. 11–12, 2025, at the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan.
After reviewing nominations, the committee finalized a shortlist of five candidates cleared to contest the presidency:
- Mr. Hott Amadou of Senegal, a former government minister with experience in finance and development policy.
- Dr. Samuel Munzele Maimbo of Zambia, a senior economic figure with a background in international banking institutions.
- Mr. Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania, known for his previous leadership roles in regional financial organizations.
- Mr. Abbas Mahamat Tolli of Chad, an economist with a history of service in monetary and banking sectors.
- Ms. Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa, an executive with expertise in both private sector and multilateral development financing.
The African Development Bank, founded in 1964, is critical in promoting sustainable economic growth and reducing poverty across the continent.
Its president oversees a portfolio of investments spanning infrastructure, energy, agriculture and social development sectors.
This year’s Annual Meeting is expected to focus on leadership transition and key challenges facing Africa, including climate finance, private sector growth and economic recovery post-pandemic.
The election of a new president is widely viewed as pivotal in steering the institution’s agenda for the next five years.
Governors will vote during a closed session on May 29, adhering to established rules emphasizing transparency and broad consensus.
As the Bank prepares for a new chapter, the selection of its next leader is set to shape the trajectory of Africa’s largest development finance institution at a time of significant opportunity and profound challenge.
