Election to the presidency of the AfDB: Mauritania’s Ousmane Kane in the starting-blocks

The African Development Bank (AfDB), headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, will elect a new president in May 2025. As the candidacy period approaches in September 2024, several names are emerging as potential contenders.

Among the prominent candidates is Ousmane Kane from Mauritania, a former AfDB Vice-President for Institutional Services and a close associate of Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould El Ghazaouani. Kane, who has spent around 15 years at the AfDB, is known for his commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, emphasized in the AfDB’s 2003-2007 strategic plan he helped develop. He has also highlighted the need for better infrastructure, innovation, and regional integration in his recent statements.

According to an August 27, 2024, memo, Kane’s candidacy is gaining strong support from various African and non-African countries, civil society organizations, and the business community. His leadership skills and economic acumen have been endorsed by influential figures in the financial sector and governments.

Kane, an alumnus of Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines, held several key roles at the AfDB, including Director of Human Resources and Director of Strategic Planning. Other notable candidates for the AfDB presidency include Romuald Wadagni from Benin, Abbas Mahamat Tolli from Chad, and Amadou Hott from Senegal.

election is seen as a crucial event for the AfDB’s future direction.