Returning from the Cannes Yachting Festival, Hugues Ongoundou, president of the Federation of African Communities of the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco (FCAAM), entrepreneur and yacht broker, invites Gabon to explore the economic potential of high-end boating. In a reflection addressed to President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, he proposes in particular to study the creation of a « Libreville Yachting Festival International », the development of marinas in Libreville, Owendo and Mayumba as well as the training of young people in the boating professions. A proposal still at the stage of reflection, but which raises more broadly the question of the economic valuation of the approximately 800 kilometers of Gabonese seafront.
What if Gabon looked more towards the Atlantic to diversify its economy? This is, in essence, the proposal developed by Hugues Ongoundou after his participation in the Cannes Yachting Festival. Far from reducing yachting to the world of luxury, the entrepreneur sees it as an ecosystem capable of aggregating shipbuilding and repair, maintenance, electronics, insurance, finance, hotels, catering, security, transport, tourism and events. « Youthing is not just a luxury industry. It can become a complete economic ecosystem, creating jobs, skills, investments and international visibility, » he defends.
Marinas from Libreville to Mayumba
The reflection undertaken with several partners is based in particular on the possibility of developing modern nautical infrastructures in Libreville, Owendo and Mayumba. Each territory would respond to a different logic: the capital as a tourist and business gateway, Owendo based on its port and logistics vocation, and Mayumba as a destination combining pleasure, biodiversity and high-end ecotourism.
For Hugues Ongoundou, however, the marina should not be thought of as a simple equipment to accommodate boats. It could feed an entire local economy around supplies, maintenance, transport, accommodation, catering and tourist excursions. « It could become a symbol of transformation, a gateway to Gabon and an accelerator of international attractiveness, » he believes. An ambition that would nevertheless require feasibility studies, significant investments, a viable economic model and a particularly demanding environmental framework, especially in areas of high ecological value such as Mayumba.
A « Libreville Yachting Festival International » in reflection
Another proposal: eventually create a « Libreville Yachting Festival International ». The idea would be to go beyond the simple boat exhibition to bring together builders, brokers, investors, financial institutions, port professionals, maintenance companies, tourism actors and blue economy specialists.
The meeting could also include professional meetings, conferences and presentations of investment projects. « It is not a question of wanting to reproduce Cannes in Gabon, » says Hugues Ongoundou. The ambition would rather be to build « a real bridge between the know-how of the Mediterranean and the immense potential of the Gabonese Atlantic facade ». Cooperation between the Côte d’Azur and Gabon would thus be currently under study with various partners.
Making Gabonese the actors of this new economy
The main issue, however, remains that of local content. A stopover in Libreville with international yachts would have little structural impact if most of the services, skills and added value remained imported. Hugues Ongoundou therefore proposes to support possible infrastructures with professional training in nautical mechanics, marine electronics, port management, security, logistics, marine environment, tourism or events.
« The objective [is] not to simply welcome an international activity, but to allow young Gabonese to become its actors, » he emphasizes. It is probably in this field that the proposal would find its main economic justification: using a high-purchasing international clientele to bring out Gabonese companies, skilled jobs and skills, rather than making it only a new high-end consumer segment.
From maritime ambition to economic viability
Finally, the proposal comes in a context where Gabon seeks to reduce its dependence on the extractive sectors and to develop new growth engines. For Hugues Ongoundou, the ocean could contribute to changing the international image of a country still largely identified with oil, manganese and wood, while at the same time enhancing its tourism, biodiversity and blue economy.
It now remains to move from intuition to evaluation. A network of marinas and an international festival would require documenting the potential market, the flows of yachts likely to frequent the Gabonese coasts, the necessary investments, the expected profitability, the environmental constraints and the impact really accessible to local companies and workers. « Gabon does not need to become another Cannes. He can become the first Gabon, « summarizes Hugues Ongoundou. An ambitious formula that now refers to a very concrete question: to what extent can the country transform its openness to the Atlantic into jobs, investments and sustainable added value for the Gabonese?
