Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, has appointed Senegal’s former minister Amadou Hott as his Special Envoy and global champion for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA).
During COP27 last November, the African Development Bank, Africa Union, and Africa50 launched the Alliance with global partners 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.
The Alliance will accelerate Africa’s transition to Net Zero by mobilizing the investments required to close the infrastructure gap for the continent’s low-carbon and climate-resilient development at scale and speed.
The Alliance will raise up to $500 million to build a strong pipeline of bankable, greener projects. A combination of co-investments, co-financing, risk mitigation, and blended finance is expected to generate up to $10 billion in investment opportunities.
Mr. Hott brings a wealth of experience in resource mobilization, public-private-partnerships, sustainable energy and infrastructure finance, and investment banking. He has strong relationships with African policymakers, development partners, strategic and institutional investors to mobilize significant capital for green infrastructure project development and financing in Africa.
Mr. Hott was until last September, Senegal’s minister for Economy, Planning and Cooperation. During his tenure, the country implemented landmark economic reforms, including the Economic and Social Resilience Plan and the reform of public-private partnerships.
Before joining government, Mr. Hott was African Development Bank Group’s Vice President for Power, Energy, Green Growth and Climate Change. During his tenure, the Bank Group significantly increased investments in renewable energy. In 2017, he helped the Bank Group allocate 100% of its power generation investments in renewable energies. Prior to joining the Bank Group, Mr. Hott served in structured finance, sovereign wealth fund management, and the development of integrated energy solutions in various major markets including New York, London, Dubai, and Lagos.
Amadou Hott holds an Associate degree in Applied Mathematics from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France, a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and a master’s degree in Financial Markets and Banking Management from Sorbonne University, Paris. In 2012, the World Economic Forum nominated him as a Young Global Leader.
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.”
