President Bola Tinubu has extended warm congratulations to President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania on the election of Dr Sidi Ould Tah as the ninth President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.

Speaking from Lagos in a telephone call with his Mauritanian counterpart on Thursday, Tinubu commended the transparent and credible process that produced Dr Tah at the AfDB’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

This was detailed in a Thursday statement, released by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy) on May 29, 2025.

“Dr Tah’s election is a testament to the robust democratic process within the AfDB, and I believe his wealth of experience, especially as Mauritania’s former Finance Minister and Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), will be invaluable in steering the Bank towards greater heights,” Tinubu said.

Tah will succeed Nigeria’s Dr Akinwumi Adesina, whose decade-long tenure concludes in September.

Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing AfDB President, praising his contributions and wishing him well in future endeavours.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s enduring commitment to the AfDB, President Tinubu emphasised the country’s status as the Bank’s largest shareholder among its 54 African and 27 non-African member nations. 

He pledged Nigeria’s full support for Dr Tah’s vision, particularly in areas such as infrastructure development, agricultural transformation, energy access, and climate resilience.

“Nigeria remains committed to working closely with the incoming AfDB leadership to advance shared priorities across the continent,” Tinubu stated, highlighting the importance of strengthening regional financial institutions, promoting Africa’s economic independence, and building climate-resilient infrastructure.

Tinubu also referenced Nigeria’s recent approval of a $500 million capital replenishment for the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF), which extends its operations by another 15 years.

Established in 1976 and fully financed by Nigeria, the NTF is a dedicated AfDB fund supporting development projects across Africa.

“This renewed commitment underscores Nigeria’s dedication to the AfDB’s mission of driving inclusive growth and poverty reduction on the continent,” Tinubu affirmed.