Five candidates from across the continent are campaigning to lead the African Development Bank (AfDB), with the election set for Thursday during the institution’s annual meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The presidency of the AfDB is a pivotal role at a time when Africa faces rising borrowing costs, declining foreign aid, and the pressing need for infrastructure investment. With the bank’s capital base at $318 billion, the outcome of this election is expected to shape the trajectory of Africa’s development financing.
Swazi Tshabalala Bajabulile – South Africa 
Formerly the bank’s senior vice president until October, Tshabalala is the only woman in the race and brings three decades of banking experience. She wants to restructure the institution internally to ensure better delivery on infrastructure goals.
Tshabalala’s vision includes streamlining the bank’s approach to projects that unlock the continent’s mineral, trade, and financial potential. She plans to expand on innovative financial tools, including hybrid capital models, to finance infrastructure on a broader scale.
Amadou Hott – Senegal
A former economy minister and veteran banker, Hott has worked in financial hubs from Lagos to London. He is proposing a model of African financial self-reliance.
His priority is boosting domestic revenue mobilisation, noting Africa’s tax-to-GDP ratio averages 16%, far below the 34% seen in OECD countries. Hott argues that better revenue systems would raise credit ratings and attract capital for energy and infrastructure needs. He also wants to focus on creating more bankable, risk-mitigated projects to draw in private investors.
Samuel Munzele Maimbo – Zambia
Currently on leave from his post as a vice president at the World Bank, Maimbo is backed by regional blocs such as SADC and COMESA. He has three decades of experience in development finance.
Maimbo is pushing for a more integrated African trade system. He said intra-African trade remains low at just 15%, meaning the continent’s products often go to waste or are undervalued. His plan involves data aggregation, regulatory reform, and new financing frameworks that encourage countries to trade and fund projects among themselves.
Sidi Ould Tah – Mauritania
A former finance minister and current head of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Tah wants the AfDB to drive Africa’s economic independence.
His platform rests on four pillars: mobilising wider pools of capital, formalising the informal economy, reforming financial systems, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure. He believes that through partnerships, the bank can leverage every $1 raised into $10 in capital for development projects.
Abbas Mahamat Tolli – Chad
Tolli has served as finance minister, central bank governor, and president of the Development Bank of Central African States. He proposes a governance overhaul at the AfDB to curb mismanagement and fiscal inefficiency.
Having grown up tending goats after fleeing civil war at age six, Tolli draws on personal experience to advocate for self-sufficiency and smarter resource management. His plan includes digitising finance systems, pooling risk, and encouraging public-private collaboration to cut waste and boost impact.
