Hawa Diallo: "The diaspora has a crucial role to play in Guinea's development"

After spending the first part of her career as an international financial auditor, Hawa Diallo enrolled in the Executive Master's program "Development Policies and Management - Potential Africa" at Sciences Po Executive Education, where she laid the groundwork for a new career in the Guinean public administration.

Successively Secretary General of the Ministry in charge of Investments and Public Private Partnerships and Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Diallo took time out to tell us about her journey and her ambitions for her country's future.

After a career in international financial auditing, what prompted you to go into the Guinean public sector?

It all began with a consultancy assignment I did for the World Bank focusing on a comprehensive organizational audit of the General Inspectorate for Public Administration in Guinea. The resulting report highlighted clear failings in the public administration, identifying multiple avenues for reform. I came away with a major insight: there was a glaring need for capacity building in our public administrations. The public sector therefore charted my career goals for me. From there on out, I felt I needed to plan out a transition to the public sector. The driving question I had for myself was this: how can I get the finest education possible?  How do I acquire the right tools to successfully navigate my transition? I received guidance from a friend, Arnaud Salla, enrolled in the Executive Master's; my preference naturally went to Sciences Po because the academic curriculum, with its emphasis on development challenges on the African continent, stood perfectly in line with my search criteria.

What did the master's program offer you from a professional standpoint?

I have to admit that the first time I sat down in class, I was wondering if it was going to be worth it; with all my experience, was a return to academia really justified? But I was swiftly reassured on this point.

First of all, Sciences Po gave me the opportunity to meet some truly interesting people. There were 28 of us, hailing from 10 different countries. We have since shared a great many experiences, exchanged views and ideas and worked on common undertakings. These days, we have a WhatsApp group where we swap and discuss best practices from our respective countries. The Executive Master's has afforded me a macro-level outlook, enabled me to get to the heart of issues and make informed and rapid decisions. It also taught me to analyze, organize and structure my ideas on projects. Finally, the program’s premier-quality lecturers supplied us with the tools necessary to dialogue with policy makers and development partners on the issues and challenges facing the African continent. The fact is also that we belong to the broader family of Sciences Po Alumni, an extensive network bearing the Sciences Po stamp, a sort of lifelong job reference.

Shortly prior to graduation, I was appointed Secretary General of the Ministry in charge of Investments and Public Private Partnerships. The education I received allowed me to hit the ground running, to be on the same level of understanding and become at home with the jargon used on a daily basis, particularly the concepts of Public Private Dialogue, PPP, country competitiveness, project cycle management... In such a senior function, these skills have helped me to swiftly come to grips with the issues being discussed, and to draw up and pilot development strategies. At the end of the day, it is the little differences that count, and this master's degree has made a tremendous difference for me.

What major issues you are you currently tasked with addressing?

First of all, as Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, mine is a very technically oriented mandate. I coordinate all the technical activities carried out within my department, which is responsible for developing Guinea's agricultural and livestock policy. Agriculture is the second-largest contributor to Guinea's GDP.

Looking more globally, our main objective is to achieve food self-sufficiency. Guinea is a country with enormous agricultural potential, with approximately 13.5 million hectares of arable terrain and an abundance of potential pastureland. The first objective is to modernize productive assets and provide farmers with the tools they need to raise their productivity. In this regard, the government is determined to provide the necessary and sufficient means to break with traditional agriculture and shifting cultivation. It should be noted that funding partners have invested in significant agricultural projects with this aim.

The second objective is that of employability - particularly among young people and women. Entrepreneurship in agriculture and animal husbandry must therefore be promoted among these groups.

Our third objective is to promote investment in agriculture and livestock. To attain this goal, we are pushing ahead with reforms to create a more wholesome business climate in order to incentivize private sector investment. One of our key reforms is the land reform process, aimed at securing investments.  

Beyond the agricultural sector, what economic future do you see taking shape for Guinea?

Guinea has posted remarkable gains in recent years. Foreign direct investment has increased significantly, thanks in part to the many efforts made to promote investment in Guinea. For instance, if I take bauxite production, which had long plateaued at 20 million tons per year, in just a few years we have quadrupled production to over 80 million tons per year, never-before-seen output figures. Partnership agreements with major financial institutions are mushrooming.

Equally noteworthy is the fact that, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Guinea has achieved a 5.6 percent growth rate in 2021, among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, with forecasts calling for a 5.2 percent growth rate in 2022. The Guinean franc has been trading higher against the dollar, all of which are healthy indicators. 

Since 5 September 2021, a strong political will to rebuild the State has been demonstrated. To this end, bold measures have been taken enabling new rules of governance to be established, using justice as a guiding compass and the fight against corruption and financial misconduct as priorities for the transition government led by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya. To this end, a first-ever court for the repression of economic offenses has just been inaugurated. During the transition period, necessary institutional reforms will be carried forward in order to build strong institutions for a strong State, with a view to bolstering the country's overall attractiveness.  

This has been my daily focus, and we are seeing a growing number of returnees from the diaspora keen to leverage their skills and experience for the development of the country. This dynamic, whereby people put their know-how in the service of their country, is a worthy and patriotic deed warranting encouragement.

The Sciences Po Editorial Team

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