Full list: Five contenders emerge as AfDB presidential race heats up

The race to lead the African Development Bank (AfDB) has narrowed to five strong contenders whose profiles show they have a high chance of winning.

The contenders with experiences from different sectors of the economy ranging from technology, finance ministers and institutional insiders, are from different countries across the African continent.

These men and women are vying for the presidential position of the AfDB following the end of Akinwunmi Adesina’s tenure, who is the 8th presidential president of the developmental bank.

The election is date slated for May 29 2025 and these people with excellent profiles are aspiring to become the 9th president of the bank.

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In no particular order, here are the five contenders for AfDB’s presidential position in 2025.

Amadou Hott

Amadou Hott is a former vice president of the AfDB overseeing energy and climate initiatives. A citizen of Senegal, Hott brings insider credibility coupled with ministerial experience from, his tenure as Senegal’s economy minister.

He has engaged in landmark projects like the Desert-to-Power initiative, establishing his position as a leader.

Samuel Maimbo

Samuel Maimbo who is currently the chief of staff of the World Bank, holds a doctorate in public administration and auditing chops from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Sidi Tah

Sidi Tah is the head of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) with over a decade of funnelling Arab capital into African projects.

A citizen of Mauritania, his bid for the presidential position at AfDB shows his ability to scramble for alternative funding as traditional lenders retrench.

Abbas Tolli

A citizen of Chad, Abbas Tolli is the Governor of the Central African Monetary Union.

He has been able to navigate Chad through the IMF bailouts and regional currency crises. Tolli brings to the table har-won crisis management skills.

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Bajabulile Tshabalala

A native of South Africa, Tshabalala is the current senior vice president. She is credited with stabilising the bank’s balance sheet during the pandemic.

Further details

This election comes at a time when Africa is grappling with crushing debt burdens, climate disasters and a demographic boom demanding 20 million jobs annually.

The AfDB with its AAA credit rating and $208 billion portfolio, remains a linchpin for progress. However, the developmental bank faces mounting pressure to pivot from infrastructure megaprojects to grassroots solutions – agritech startups and women-led SMEs.