SIMANDOU 2040 : LA GUINÉE PARIE SUR SA JEUNESSE
It is not minerals that will shape the Guinea of tomorrow. It is its men, women, and youth. This was the central message delivered by Mr. Djiba Diakité to the entrepreneurs, partners, and youth gathered at SADEN 2026.
There was something special in the air at the closing of SADEN 2026. After three days of discussions, debates, project presentations, and meetings, Mr. Djiba Diakité, Minister and Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic, took the microphone to officially close this 5th edition. And what he said that day deserves to be heard far beyond the walls of the conference.
His speech was not that of a technocrat reciting figures. It was the voice of a state looking its youth in the eye and saying: we are counting on you. And we are preparing you to rise to the occasion.
Simandou 2040: a vision that goes beyond ore
Many associate Simandou with iron ore, mines, and billions of dollars of foreign investment. And they're not wrong—Simandou's deposits are among the largest in the world. But reducing Simandou 2040 to a mining project is to miss the point entirely.
Mr. Diakité said it with disarming clarity:
“A country does not change because it possesses resources. A country changes when its resources create jobs, businesses, skills, and wealth for its people.”
— Mr. Djiba Diakité
Behind this phrase lies an entire philosophy of governance. That of President H.E. Mamadi Doumbouya, who has made human development the guiding principle of Simandou 2040. This program is not a promise of abstract wealth. It is a concrete commitment to every Guinean—and in particular to every young Guinean waiting for their opportunity.
Training to transform: the promise of Simandou Academy
If Simandou 2040 is the framework, Simandou Academy is its human engine. This presidential initiative is at the heart of Guinea's human capital development strategy — and Mr. Diakité did not mince words in explaining its urgency.
“There are graduates — but what’s important is the skills.”
— Mr. Djiba Diakité
In a world evolving at breakneck speed, a degree is no longer enough. What matters is what one is capable of doing, creating, and solving. Simandou Academy was founded precisely to bridge this gap—between traditional academic training and the concrete demands of a transforming economy. Its ambition is to train Guinean engineers, technicians, and entrepreneurs who will not be mere spectators of their country's development, but its true architects.
This is the true greatness of President Doumbouya's vision: not to wait for prosperity to come from the outside, but to build, from within, the men and women who will produce it.
To the youth of Guinea: you are the wealth
The most moving and powerful part of the speech was the one addressed directly to young people. In a room filled with young entrepreneurs, students, and job seekers, Mr. Diakité chose to speak the truth.
“Your education, your energy, your high standards are Guinea’s primary resources — even more so than minerals.”
— Mr. Djiba Diakité
Rarely has an official speech so forcefully asserted that youth is not a problem to be managed, but an asset to be valued. These words carry the weight of a clear political choice: in the Guinea of Simandou 2040, young people are not waiting for favors. They are at the heart of the national project.
Entrepreneurs: the time to prepare is now
The Minister also made a point of directly addressing the Guinean private sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. The message was simple, direct, and uncompromising: the opportunities of Simandou 2040 will be immense—but they won't wait for those who aren't ready.
Competitiveness, quality, and the ability to work together are not distant ideals. They are the requirements of today, to be ready for tomorrow. In this spirit, SADEN is not just a trade fair. It is a laboratory for foresight, a space where Guinea is concretely preparing to seize its destiny.
As he took leave of his audience, Mr. Djiba Diakité left behind words that will long be remembered:
“Believe in your abilities. Believe in your ideas. Above all, believe in your country. Because the Guinea of tomorrow will be built through your projects, your creativity, and your courage to take risks and undertake new ventures.”
— Mr. Djiba Diakité
Guinea has minerals. But above all, it has men and women who dream big. Simandou 2040, driven by President Doumbouya's vision and embodied by voices like Mr. Diakité's, is the bet that these two riches, finally united, will make it what it has always been destined to be.
![[ EXCLUSIF] Keur Massar : Momo, garde du corps de Sonko, victime de cambriolage , une somme d'argent emportée à son domicile](https://image.seneweb.com/content/news/2026-24-11//thumb_1260x800_6a2af4367fc31_aguxPII11b.jpg)
Commentaires (66)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.