Amadou Hott, AfDB presidential candidate, unveils a vision for Africa’s self-reliance

Mr. Amadou Hott, former Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation of Senegal has laid out his bold yet pragmatic vision to accelerate Africa’s transformation as part of his candidacy for the Presidency of the Bank. During a debate organized by Brookings Institution featuring all five candidates, Amadou Hott stood out as an experienced leader capable of drawing from his rich and diverse track record to lead the institution through the world order’s current paradigm shift. Mr. Hott’s candidacy is anchored in a clear-eyed assessment of Africa’s most pressing development needs: private sector development for economic diversification, job creation, especially among youth and women, access to reliable electricity, quality education and healthcare and climate adaptation. At the heart of Mr. Hott’s vision is making the Bank an instrument for Africa to become self-reliant. The debate (available here) further cemented him as one of the leading candidates to take over the premier financial institution of Africa’s economic transformation. Rejecting “business as usual,” Mr. Hott pledges to modernize and digitize the Bank’s operations, accelerate project delivery and guarantee knowledge transfer and technical assistance through stronger partnerships between both public and private sectors. He highlights the need for domestic resource mobilization, to support countries’ fiscal reforms and for more robust local capital markets. Mr. Hott, as a seasoned banker, advocates for an expanded role of the private sector in African development, emphasizing that under his tenure, the Bank will focus on increasing its capacity to support private sector growth and job creation. His vision for African self-reliance also centers on encouraging climate-smart industrialization through regional integration in order to further unlock the potential of Africa’s consumer markets. Key strategies include building physical infrastructure, refining operational systems for local processing of marketable goods, and improving essential services. These efforts aim to strengthen Africa’s role within global value chains. Amadou Hott, the sole candidate with extensive experience working at the Bank -as a Vice-President, Special Envoy to the President, and Governor- brings deep institutional knowledge. Coupled with his technical expertise and high-level engagement experience, including representing the African Union at G7 and G20 meetings, Mr. Hott is committed to delivering from the first day of his mandate.