At the 3rd Annual Conference of the International Network of Francophone Investment Promotion Agencies (RIAFPI) in Libreville, the Director of the National Agency for Investment Promotion (ANPI) Gabon, Nina Alida Abouna, Executive Director of Junior Achievement (JA Gabon), Radia Garrigues and the Head of International Expertise at the Public Investment Bank (Bpifrance), Vincent di Betta, signed an agreement as part of capacity building initiatives and support structures for young entrepreneurs in Gabon.
This agreement which was signed in the presence of the Minister of the Promotion of Private Investments, responsible for National Entrepreneurship, Madeleine Berre, aims to train the teams of the national business incubator, ANPI-Gabon and other stakeholders of the ecosystem in the management of innovative entrepreneurial projects. It also involves providing assistance and strategic advice on the implementation of an innovation program entrusted by the Gabonese government to JA Gabon.
“We have purposefully themed this conference under the challenges of industrialization in the French-speaking world to highlight issues related to economic diversification, technological innovation and the role of entrepreneurship, especially how young people and women can contribute to strengthening intra-African trade. “said Madeleine Berre.
At the request of the Minister, the training plan for the Gabonese entrepreneurial ecosystem will be in multiple faces. It will focus on the training of trainers in the field of innovative project management with Bpifrance, the preparation for fundraising with investment funds in collaboration with Investment and Partners (I & P), the support of project and project leaders as well as business development through the GERME program and the agency France entrepreneur.
Also, the government, through the Ministry of Investment Promotion, SMEs, National Entrepreneurship, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Labor plans to better train and integrate young people out of school and graduates into the job market, as part of a government strategy to set up sectorial incubation areas and incubation hubs at national level.
ANPI-Gabon and JA Gabon are working together to develop new businesses and provide support for the Gabonese entrepreneurial ecosystem by developing a training plan aimed at strengthening the skills of existing players. The program also caters for young unemployed graduates who are interested in starting their own businesses.
Bpifrance’s experience with business loans, guarantee fund management, development of innovation strategies and private equity development has allowed it to offer a range of providing international technical assistance to foreign institutions that will be mobilized under this agreement.
Bpifrance is already an official partner of the Espace PME through its online training modules available on the Bpi Universiy portal.
