Learning

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
- Nelson Mandela



Gabonese High School

  

Managing Expectations

Any high-profile project comes with a vast array of stakeholders that require consideration. Due to the size of the project here, and its impact on the daily lives of the Gabonese population, ANGT is in the media spotlight on an almost daily basis. Local papers follow the progress of various jobs, and international journalists come to write about the larger effects of infrastructure development in the region. Broadly speaking, the international media reception of the Gabon Emergent program has been warm.

Here is a recent country report on Gabon published by the Financial Times. It provides a good commentary on the context in which we are working to improve the world standing of this small West-African oil enclave.

FT Country Report - Gabon

Bringing Things Together - ANGT

A huge program of infrastructure development requires a massive amount of coordination. To aid in the delivery of the Gabon Infrastructure Master Plan, Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba has created the Agence Nationale des Grands Travaux. Check out this short documentary on the creation of ANGT and its mission in Gabon. If executed well, this delivery method could serve as a template for other developing nations that seek to leverage their natural resources into sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

Creation of ANGT

Turning the Page without Closing the Book

CAN 2012 Ceremonies at Stade l'Amitié in Libreville

With the successful completion of the Coup d'Afrique 2012, the media accolades are rolling in. However, this is just the beginning of a successful partnership between ANGT, Gabon and the plan for Gabon Emergent 2016. It's back to the grindstone at the office.

Footage from the Incredible Closing Ceremony

Starting off with a Bang

 Gabon has ushered in 2012 with the biggest sporting event on the continent. The infrastructure works have completed in the nick of time, and so far only words of praise have come from the government of Gabon and the international community that is here for the events.

Check out this great New York Times Article about the African Cup of Nations final coming up tonight in Libreville. The city is alive with excitement despite the fact that the home team was knocked out in the first second round. The infrastructure is looking great, and the team has put in a fantastic effort to make this event such a success. I can't help but feel proud at what we've accomplished here so far.

ANGT Goes Live!

Finally - a place to showcase some of our work here in Gabon. The National Agency of Great Works, or "L'Agence Nationale des Grands Travaux" as they call it here in Gabon, has gone live with a website that will highlight the projects we are overseeing as well as other useful information about the project. Stay tuned for what I hope to be some exciting updates to the content.

ANGT Website

It's Always Nice to BBC

Angondje Stadium - Courtesy of BBC News

The BBC news paid a surprise visit to Gabon last week, and one of the topics of interest was Bechtel/ANGT preparations for the CAN 2012 tournament (see BBC article here). On November 10th, the Brazilian national team will play a friendly against the Gabon Panthers in a trial run for the new main stadium at Angondje. The importance of this match is two-fold. Firstly it is an amazing opportunity for the Panthers to debut their soccer prowess against a major international opponent ahead of the Coup d'Afrique. Secondly, it has created a major milestone in the preparations and construction of the Angondje stadium. Work has been progressing well at the stadium as of late, but this new milestone has caused all schedules to be compressed and added more rush to an already tight working environment. All in all, the project team is confident that everything will be ready, and we are all looking forward to enjoying the fruits or our labor as we watch a great match in a beautiful new stadium!

Jeune Afrique Article on Gabon vs. Brazil