Race To Presidency Of AfDB Hots Up As Amadou Hott’s Candidacy Is Officially Announced

The race to the presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has began in earnest as the Government of Senegal, through the Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs, on Thursday, announced the official launch of the candidacy of Mr. Amadou Hott for the presidency of the bank.

BIGPEN NIGERIA (https://bigpenngr.com) reports that this official launch ceremony, which marks a major milestone for Senegal’s commitment to pan-African development, was held on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at 4 p.m., at the Terrou-Bi Hotel, under the effective leadership of Her Excellency Mrs. Yassine Fall, Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs.

After 60 years of remarkable progress, the African Development Bank has established itself as Africa’s leading development finance institution, thanks to the visionary leadership of its successive presidents.

The current presidency, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has also achieved unprecedented results in development impact and capital growth.

Mr. Amadou Hott strongly contributed to this success under the guidance of Dr. Adesina, first as inaugural vice president of the Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth Complex (2016-2019), and then as Special Presidential Envoy for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (2022-2024).

With over 25 years of strong and diverse experience, combining investment banking, development banking, sovereign wealth fund management and public policy, Mr. Hott embodies a bold and inclusive vision to address the current and future challenges of the African continent. Former Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation of Senegal (2019-2022), he is a well renowned economist and financial expert with a deep understanding of the issues facing stakeholders, including governments and the private sector.

Through this nomination, Senegal seeks to contribute to the institution’s mission by proposing a competent, visionary and pragmatic leader who can help accelerate the implementation of Africa’s transformative projects and programs. This initiative further aims to enhance African integration, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth that generates employment while creating broader economic opportunities, with a particular focus on youth and women.

According to the statement, the official launch is tailored to inform the public about the candidacy of Mr. Amadou Hott and the support of the Government of Senegal, enhance the candidate’s assets and vision for the Bank as well as mobilize national and international support for this major bid’

The statement said that “with this candidacy, Senegal expresses its commitment to actively contribute to Africa’s economic and social transformation while enhancing the African Development Bank’s capacity for driving sustainable prosperity for Africa. The government therefore invites all African and international partners to join in this shared vision of building a strong, united and prosperous continent for current and future generations”.