Preparing the Gabonese Industry for Tomorrow
The third edition of the Yam’NA program, launched jointly by Eramet Comilog and SETRAG, marks a significant shift in the approach to transforming local African natural resources. Behind the announcement of 50 new scholarships for Gabonese bachelors, lies a more ambitious strategy – preparing the skills that will accompany the transformation of the country’s industry over the next few decades.
Launched officially on July 10th at Libreville, this new edition represents a major evolution of the device created in 2024 by Eramet Comilog within the Beyond program of the Eramet group and its ‘Act for Positive Mining’ social responsibility strategy. Since its creation, nearly fifty Gabonese students have already benefited from support to pursue their higher education studies in Gabon.
The arrival of SETRAG as a partner for this third edition opens up a new phase for the program and reinforces its national dimension, associating mining industry and strategic railway infrastructure around a single objective – investing in Gabonese human capital.
Preparing the jobs that do not yet exist
For several decades, African extractive economies have primarily exported raw materials while neglecting to develop the skills needed for their transformation. The challenge facing many African economies today is one of creating a generation capable of turning resources into wealth and leveraging them as a sustainable source of economic sovereignty.
The partnership between Eramet Comilog and SETRAG appears like a concrete response to this structural problem. As a major private employer based in Haut-Ogooué with over 3,500 direct employment positions through its subsidiaries Comilog and ferroviaire SETRAG, the French-based Eramet group is one of the main economic players in Gabon and the sub-region.
De son côté, SETRAG operates the 648 kilometers of Transgabonais connecting the interior mining zones to the port of Owendo and ensures the transport of nearly nine million tonnes of goods every year as well as hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The battle for development is now being fought over skills
Africa is gradually entering a new phase of economic development where the question is no longer just about infrastructure or investments, but about the available skills to accompany industrial transformations. In this competitive global landscape, countries that will succeed are likely to be those capable of transforming their youth into the main engine of value creation.
The Yam’NA program is part of this long-term strategy. By orienting students towards local transformation and related professions as well as environmental economy, Gabon aims to anticipate industry needs rather than conform to them.
The objective is clear – to emerge a generation capable not only of exploiting the country’s resources but also of transforming, valuing, and leveraging them as a durable source of economic sovereignty. The modalities of application and eligibility criteria are available on the Yam’NA program website : https://bit.ly/4eOHGXo.
