Libreville, Saturday, July 11, 2026 – The debate around local transformation of Africa’s natural resources has shifted from boardrooms and international summits to lecture halls and university corridors where the next generation of leaders is being shaped.

The third edition of Gabon’s Yam’NA program, jointly launched by Eramet Comilog and SETRAG, embodies this transformation. While it offers fifty new scholarships to Gabonese high school graduates, the initiative represents far more than financial support—it’s a strategic investment in the talents that will drive the country’s industrial future over the coming decades.

Officially inaugurated on July 10 in Libreville, this latest edition builds on momentum established since 2024 when Eramet Comilog first launched the program under its Beyond initiative and Act for Positive Mining corporate responsibility framework. To date, nearly fifty Gabonese students have benefited from higher education support through this initiative.

The participation of SETRAG as a new partner marks a significant evolution, broadening the program’s national scope by uniting mining and critical railway infrastructure around a shared mission: investing in Gabon’s human capital.

Building skills for tomorrow’s industries

For generations, African extractive economies have exported raw materials while importing the technical expertise needed to process them. Gabon is now turning this model on its head.

The fifty scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year will target sectors identified as vital for the country’s development: metallurgy, steel production, industrial chemistry, agribusiness, agroforestry, and green economy professions. This strategic alignment isn’t incidental—it directly supports national ambitions to increase local value addition, reduce reliance on imported expertise, and strengthen economic sovereignty.

The stakes extend far beyond individual careers. The initiative aims to cultivate engineers, technicians, metallurgists, environmental specialists, industrial process experts, and mid-level managers who will spearhead tomorrow’s manganese, iron, timber, and agricultural processing projects.

In today’s global context of energy transition and fierce competition for strategic minerals, merely possessing resources is no longer sufficient. Countries must now develop the capabilities to process these materials locally and capture their full economic value.

An investment in economic independence

The Yam’NA program targets Gabonese youth under 25 who have passed their baccalaureate exams and wish to pursue higher education in technical, industrial, or environmental fields. Applications are open from July 8 to 28, 2026.

Beyond financial assistance, the program bridges the gap between academic training and real-world industry needs—a persistent challenge across African economies where graduates often struggle to find employment in oversaturated fields disconnected from emerging industrial demands.

The partnership between Eramet Comilog and SETRAG offers a concrete solution to this structural issue. As Gabon’s leading private employer with nearly 3,500 direct jobs through its Comilog and railway subsidiaries, Eramet remains a cornerstone of the Gabonese and subregional economy.

SETRAG, which operates the 648-kilometer Transgabonais railway linking interior mining zones to Owendo port, annually transports nine million tons of goods and hundreds of thousands of passengers—a vital artery for the nation’s economy.

The development battle is won through skills

Africa is entering a new phase of economic development where progress hinges less on infrastructure or capital inflows and more on the availability of relevant skills. In this global competition, nations that succeed will be those transforming their youth into engines of value creation.

The Yam’NA program embodies this long-term vision by steering students toward local processing careers and green economy professions. Gabon isn’t merely responding to today’s needs—it’s anticipating tomorrow’s industrial landscape.

The clear objective? To nurture a generation capable not just of extracting resources, but of transforming them into sustainable economic drivers. Application details and eligibility criteria are available through the dedicated Yam’NA platform.