Africa NextGen Economist Prize: Senegalese economist Abdoulaye Ndiaye winner of the first edition

Senegal was honored this Friday in Kigali, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum. Our compatriot, the economist Abdoulaye Ndiaye, was distinguished for his work.

The Africa NextGen Economist Prize, created by Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report, in partnership with the African Development Bank, was awarded to Abdoulaye Ndiaye, a 37-year-old Senegalese economist, assistant professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University and affiliated with the Finance for Development Lab, according to a press release from the Africa CEO Forum press service.

Selected from more than 70 candidates from 14 African countries, Abdoulaye Ndiaye is a graduate of École Polytechnique and holds a doctorate from Northwestern University (United States). He conducts research at the intersection of public finance, development economics and political economy.

Its work aims to identify the institutional and market constraints that limit the capacity of African states to provide household services, mobilize domestic resources and preserve macro-financial stability.

“Receiving this award moves me deeply. The significance of this award lies in the fact that the jury of African economists considered that my research served not only the academic community, but also African citizens, private sector investors and public decision-makers on our continent,” declared Abdoulaye Ndiaye during the ceremony in Kigali.

For Aurélie M’Bida, editor-in-chief of Jeune Afrique, this first edition confirms the importance of giving greater visibility to African economists who think about the continent’s transformations based on its own realities. By distinguishing Abdoulaye Ndiaye, the jury rewards demanding, useful research geared towards public action.

Nicholas Norbrook, editor-in-chief of The Africa Report, added that African economic debates need new voices, capable of linking academic excellence, detailed understanding of institutions and concrete impact on public policies. Abdoulaye Ndiaye embodies this ambition, and his journey illustrates the spirit of the Africa NextGen Economist Prize.

“As a winner, Abdoulaye Ndiaye will receive an endowment of 10,000 euros as well as editorial exposure through an interview in Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report, supplemented by training offered by FERDI,” we read in the document.

Presented in Kigali on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum, this prize aims to highlight a new generation of African economists whose work contributes to renewing the continent’s economic thinking and informing public policies.

Aliou KANDE, special envoy to Kigali