African Development Bank Group President Appoints Former Senegalese Minister Amadou Hott as Special Envoy for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa | African Development Bank

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group, has appointed former Senegalese minister Amadou Hott as its special envoy and world champion for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA).

The African Development Bank, the African Union and Africa50 launched the Alliance at COP27 last November with global partners: 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 scale and speed of investments needed to bridge the infrastructure gap for the continent’s low-carbon and climate-resilient development.

The Alliance will mobilize up to $500 million needed for a robust pipeline of bankable, greener projects. This is expected to generate up to $10 billion in investment opportunities through a combination of co-investment, co-financing, risk mitigation and blended financing.

Mr. Hott brings a wealth of experience in resource mobilization, public-private partnerships, renewable energy and infrastructure financing, and investment banking. He has strong relationships with African policy makers, development partners, strategic and institutional investors to mobilize significant capital for the development and financing of green infrastructure projects in Africa.

Mr Hott was Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation in Senegal until last September. During his tenure, the country implemented groundbreaking economic reforms, including the Economic and Social Resilience Plan and the Reform of Public-Private Partnerships.

Before joining the government, Mr. Hott Vice President of the African Development Bank Group for Power, Energy, Green Growth and Climate Change. During his tenure, the Bank Group significantly increased investment in renewable energy. In 2017, he helped the Bank Group to allocate 100% of its power generation investments to renewable energy. Prior to joining the Bank Group, Mr. Hott worked in structured finance, sovereign wealth fund management and the development of integrated energy solutions in several 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: “I am honored to support this great initiative under President Adesina’s visionary and influential leadership. The Alliance will support Africa’s transition to Net Zero emissions. We need to frontload infrastructure investments for Africa to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and develop the continent. I look forward to working with all regional and global stakeholders and partners to bring this new challenge to a successful conclusion.”

Dr. Adesina said: “I am delighted to have former minister Amadou Hott as my special envoy to defend the Alliance globally and help mobilize significant resources and stakeholders for increased green investment in Africa. He has a strong track record of mobilizing resources and multi-stakeholder engagement for key initiatives, particularly in green infrastructure.”