Gabon – Preparatory Studies for the Establishment of the Mandji Island Industrial Zone

The proposed project forms part of the implementation of the Gabon Emerging Strategic Plan and the National Import Substitution Strategy through the rollout of the “Gabon Industry” pillar, which aims to enhance the valorisation of the country’s raw material resources by increasing value added and promoting local subcontracting. Financing this project through the PRI grant will help ensure high-quality project preparation for the investment initiative envisaged by the Government, support the sustainability of the establishment of the Mandji Island industrial zone, and ensure that risks and impacts are adequately assessed, mitigation measures clearly identified, and implementation costs properly estimated. Through the feasibility studies of the industrial zone and the business incubator, the project will also contribute to promoting private-sector-oriented solutions and creating investment opportunities. It will further enable the Bank to support infrastructure financing while simultaneously assisting key stakeholders, notably the Government and interested private sector actors wishing to locate in the zone. In order to achieve the overarching objective of stimulating structural transformation through local processing of raw materials and enterprise upgrading, the project will be structured around two components : the first will focus on maturing the Mandji Island industrial zone project to drive structural change through local value addition, while the second will propose an incubator model to support enterprises in priority value chains through capacity upgrading and business development support. The total cost of the project amounts to UA 470,000 and will be jointly financed by the Bank (UA 400,000) and the Government of the Republic of Gabon (UA 70,000 in in-kind contribution).