In 2 years, the manganese in Okondja will be operated largely by an Indian company, with the key to the creation of many jobs.

The Equatorial Mining Company and Indian Navodaya, 3rd world producer of high grade manganese, made official the creation of a joint venture between Gabon Manganese and Ferro Alloy Ltd (GMFA), 85% owned by the Indian installed Dubai and 15% by Gabon through SEM, in the production phase. This company was created to operate in less than two years manganese Okondja.

This project requires 70 billion F CFA investment for the first phase and 75 billion for the second phase. This ambitious local development project promises to create thousands of local jobs. The Minister Regis Immongault in charge of the Department of Mines immediately handed the mining license to (GMFA) and insisted on starting the project.

Pending possible expansion in the province of the Haut-Oguooé, or diversification of its activities at the national level, the GMFA will be the first to explore and exploit manganese Okondja. A timing phase of 6 months has already been set up to 24 months. Thus, the first half will be devoted to the translation of the previous geological data inherited from the work of the Brazilian company Valé and the Australian BHP on this mining permit Okondja rich in manganese index, an evaluation between 35 and 40% .

The primary objectives of the GMFA are: the preparation of the access road to the reservoir, the installation of a mobile laboratory and equipment control.

The issue of processing of ore in Gabon is of particular interest, where the minister's Régis Immongault and Indian investors have deepened the option of creating a joint company between Gabon and Navodaya Trading DMCC about manganese Okondja. Negotiations that led to the joint venture which will produce one million tonnes of ore per year, will generate 50 jobs in the exploration phase and 100 jobs during development and more than 200 jobs at the stage of production, with an employability 90% of national ratio.

• [Editor:Sophie]