Amadou Hott, a former minister for Senegal, has been appointed by African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as his special envoy and advocate for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA).
During COP27 in November of last year, the African Development Bank, Africa Union, and Africa50 announced the launch of the Alliance with the support of numerous international organisations, including the African Union Development Agency, the African Sovereign Investors Forum, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the French Development Agency, the Rockefeller Foundation, the US Trade and Development Agency, the Global Center on Adaptation, and the Private Infrastructure Development Group.
By quickly and massively mobilising the investments required to close the infrastructure gap for the continent’s low-carbon and climate-resilient development, the Alliance will hasten Africa’s transition to Net Zero.
In order to build a strong pipeline of bankable, greener projects, the Alliance will mobilise up to $500 million. As a result of a combination of co-investments, co-financing, risk reduction, and blended finance, investment opportunities worth up to $10 billion are anticipated to arise.
Mr. Hott brings a wealth of expertise in investment banking, public-private partnerships, financing for sustainable energy and infrastructure, and resource mobilisation. He can mobilise a sizable amount of funding for the development and financing of green infrastructure projects in Africa thanks to his solid connections with African policymakers, development partners, and institutional investors.
Up until last September, Mr. Hott served as Senegal’s minister of economy, planning, and cooperation. The Economic and Social Resilience Plan and the reform of public-private partnerships were among the significant economic reforms the nation carried out during his presidency.
Before entering politics, Mr. Hott served as the Vice President for Power, Energy, Green Growth, and Climate Change for the African Development Bank Group. The Bank Group significantly increased its investments in renewable energy during his presidency. He assisted the Bank Group in 2017 with the allocation of all of its investments in renewable energy for power generation. Mr. Hott worked in structured finance, managing sovereign wealth funds, and creating integrated energy solutions in a number of significant markets, including New York, London, Dubai, and Lagos, before joining the Bank Group.
Amadou Hott has a bachelor’s in economics, a master’s in financial markets and banking management, and an associate’s degree in applied mathematics from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France. He received a Young Global Leader nomination from the World Economic Forum in 2012.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Hott said: “I am honored to champion this great initiative under President Adesina’s visionary and impactful leadership. The Alliance will support Africa’s transition to Net Zero emissions. We need to frontload investments in infrastructure for Africa to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and to develop the continent. I look forward to working with all regional and global stakeholders and partners to succeed in this new challenge.”
Dr. Adesina said: “I am delighted to have former Minister Amadou Hott as my Special Envoy to globally champion the Alliance and help mobilize significant resources and stakeholders for more green investments in Africa. He has a strong track record of mobilizing resources and multi-stakeholder engagement for key initiatives, particularly in green infrastructure.”
