AfDB President Ould Tah Pushes Africa’s Priorities at UNGA80 in New York

The President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, is in New York this week for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80). His mission: to rally international support for Africa’s development priorities and to mobilize resources ahead of the seventeenth replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF), the Bank’s concessional financing arm that supports 37 of the continent’s low-income nations.

A Vision Built on Four Pillars

Throughout his engagements, Dr. Ould Tah has been presenting a strategic vision for Africa’s future, structured around four pillars:

1. Achieving self-sufficiency and unlocking Africa’s economic potential.

2. Reforming Africa’s financial architecture to ensure greater resilience and autonomy.

3. Harnessing population growth by creating jobs for women and youth, turning demographics into a dividend.

4. Building climate-resilient infrastructure and boosting value addition to Africa’s natural resources.

These priorities reflect the Bank’s long-term commitment to helping African countries reduce fragility, strengthen regional integration, and enhance peace and security.

High-Level Engagements with Global Leaders

Since arriving in New York, Dr. Ould Tah has held a series of meetings with world leaders and heads of international organizations:

• Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, discussed ways to deepen AfDB–UN collaboration. Dr. Ould Tah emphasized the need for partners to work together in building a new African financial system that draws on shared strengths.

• Ms. Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA, exchanged views with the AfDB chief on maternal health and demographic transformation. Dr. Ould Tah stressed: “Investing in mothers and girls today is the foundation of tomorrow’s demographic dividend.”

• President Duma Gideon Boko of Botswana highlighted the country’s push to diversify beyond diamonds and to invest in rail interconnectivity, vital for positioning Botswana on regional trade corridors. Dr. Ould Tah agreed on the importance of using natural resources as a lever for job creation and economic transformation.

• Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed his government’s readiness to support AfDB’s mission fully, signaling stronger UAE–Africa cooperation in the years ahead.

Energy, Climate, and Integration in Focus

On Wednesday, Dr. Ould Tah will participate in the launch of new National Energy Compacts under Mission 300, a joint initiative between the AfDB and the World Bank aimed at delivering electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.

He will also attend a trilateral meeting with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), to coordinate strategies on continental issues ranging from climate action to financial reform and regional integration.

Mobilizing Resources for the African Development Fund

A critical part of Dr. Ould Tah’s agenda is preparing the ground for the ADF’s seventeenth replenishment in December 2025. The Fund provides crucial concessional resources for fragile and low-income countries, enabling them to invest in infrastructure, climate adaptation, food security, and human capital.

Despite the global environment of shrinking aid budgets, Dr. Ould Tah confirmed that several African countries have already pledged support. He is now pushing to secure additional commitments from development partners, underscoring that the Fund is a lifeline for Africa’s most vulnerable economies.

Africa’s Message to the World

The AfDB President has used his UNGA80 platform to remind the international community that Africa’s challenges—climate change, fragility, unemployment, and infrastructure gaps—are global challenges. With a population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, Africa’s trajectory will shape the future of the world economy, climate stability, and international peace.

Dr. Ould Tah’s engagements in New York send a clear message: Africa is not only seeking aid, but also partnerships, investments, and reforms that will unleash the continent’s full potential.

Looking Ahead

With the replenishment conference of the African Development Fund just months away, the coming weeks will be decisive in mobilizing both African solidarity and global partnerships. If successful, the replenishment will provide the resources needed to help fragile states build resilience, strengthen financial systems, and empower millions of Africans through sustainable development.