L ibreville, April 2, 2026 – By launching a workshop on April 2 and 3 to promote ownership of the National Growth and Development Plan (PNCD) 2026–2030, the Ministers of Interior, Security and Decentralization, and of Planning are laying a decisive milestone for anchoring national strategies within territorial realities. Designed for local elected officials, the event highlights the value of top‑down planning enriched by bottom‑up engagement, fostering an effective territorialization of public policies.

First, this workshop strengthens citizen and democratic participation. By familiarizing mayors, municipal councillors and other local representatives with this key instrument of economic and spatial planning, it equips them with the tools needed to translate national objectives — inclusive growth, economic diversification, sustainable infrastructure — into concrete projects tailored to local living areas. Thus, an elected official from Estuaire may prioritize urban development in response to rapid urbanization, while a counterpart from Ogooué‑Ivindo may focus on agroforestry to promote green growth.

Next, it enhances strategic alignment and resource efficiency. Local elected officials, often confronted with regional disparities (urbanization versus rurality, access to services), learn to integrate the PNCD into their Municipal Development Plans (PDC), avoiding duplication and maximizing public and private financing. This synergy reduces territorial inequalities, accelerates decentralization, and boosts growth: studies such as those by the World Bank on Sub‑Saharan Africa show that the territorialization of national plans multiplies the impact of investments by a factor of two to three.

Finally, this workshop embodies an inclusive form of governance that fosters local innovation. In the face of climate challenges and the post‑transition context, it encourages elected officials to co‑construct resilient policies, turning the PNCD into a shared compass for an emerging Gabon.

This event marks a turning point: local officials are now equipped to drive the smart territorialization of public policies, in support of equitable and sustainable growth.