Libreville, Saturday, July 11, 2026 — Africa’s economic narrative is shifting. No longer confined to boardrooms or international summits, the conversation now centers on classrooms and training centers where the continent’s future workforce is being shaped. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than in Gabon through the Yam’NA program.

The third edition of Yam’NA, jointly launched by Eramet Comilog and SETRAG, goes beyond simply awarding scholarships to 50 Gabonese high school graduates. It represents a strategic investment in building the skilled workforce that will drive the country’s industrial transformation in the coming decades.

Officially inaugurated on July 10 in Libreville, this new phase builds on the program’s 2024 foundation. Launched by Eramet Comilog under its Beyond initiative and Act for Positive Mining CSR strategy, Yam’NA has already empowered nearly 50 Gabonese students to pursue higher education within the country.

The addition of SETRAG as a partner marks a significant evolution. By uniting Gabon’s leading mining company with its most critical rail infrastructure operator, the program now takes a comprehensive approach to human capital development across the nation’s industrial backbone.

Cultivating tomorrow’s industries today

For generations, African resource-rich nations exported raw materials while importing technical expertise for their transformation. Gabon is turning this model on its head. The 50 new scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year target sectors identified as vital for the country’s future: metallurgy, steel production, industrial chemistry, agribusiness, agroforestry, and green economy professions.

This strategic pivot isn’t merely about employment opportunities. It’s about nurturing the engineers, technicians, metallurgists, environmental specialists, and industrial process experts who will tomorrow transform Gabon’s manganese, iron, timber, and agricultural products into value-added goods. With global demand for strategic minerals surging amid energy transitions, possessing resources alone is insufficient—countries must develop local transformation capabilities to capture economic value.

Investing in economic sovereignty

Yam’NA targets Gabonese youth under 25 who’ve completed their baccalaureate examinations and seek higher education in technical, industrial, or environmental fields. Applications opened on July 8 and close on July 28, 2026.

The program’s approach extends beyond financial support. It bridges the gap between academic curricula and real-world industrial needs—a persistent challenge across African economies where graduates often struggle to secure positions in oversaturated or disconnected fields.

Eramet Comilog’s partnership with SETRAG directly addresses this structural issue. As Gabon’s largest private employer with 3,500 direct jobs—operating through subsidiaries Comilog and SETRAG—the French group stands as an economic pillar in Gabon and the region.

SETRAG operates the 648km Transgabonais railway, connecting inland mines to the Owendo port and transporting nine million tons of goods and hundreds of thousands of passengers annually. This infrastructure is now being leveraged to develop the human capital needed to maximize Gabon’s industrial potential.

The skills revolution in African development

Africa is entering a new economic phase where success depends less on infrastructure or capital than on available talent. The countries that will lead this transformation are those turning their youth into engines of value creation.

Yam’NA exemplifies this long-term vision. By steering students toward local transformation industries and green economy professions, Gabon isn’t just preparing for tomorrow’s needs—it’s actively shaping them. The goal is clear: cultivate a generation capable not only of extracting resources but transforming them sustainably to build lasting economic sovereignty.

Prospective candidates can find application details and eligibility criteria on the Yam’NA program’s dedicated platform.