When we look at images of the last civil war in Africa and that we see the French being evacuated by soldiers sent on the spot to recover them, we can hardly imagine that Africa has often been a great adventure for them. We interviewed Jean Pierre Pinchot, a construction industry professional, who landed in Africa ??as a young graduate and spent his entire career there. Now retired and living in France, he talks about his career in Africa.

This interview provides a concise overview of the article, highlighting the experiences of Jean Pierre Pinchot and Hassan Hachem in Equatorial Guinea, as well as the country's economic and infrastructural developments. When images of the last civil war in Africa surface, showing the French being evacuated by soldiers, it's hard to imagine that Africa was once a grand adventure for many. Jean Pierre Pinchot, a construction industry veteran, shared his experiences of working in Africa. Starting his journey with the Colas Cements in Cameroon during the 1980s, he later collaborated with Bouygues, reviving the Equatorial Guinean company, Dragages GE. Equatorial Guinea's economic landscape transformed with the discovery of oil, leading to infrastructural developments like ports, airports, roads, and more. Jean Pierre was a firsthand witness to this transformation. Among his many encounters, he fondly remembers Hassan Hachem, a young architect who quickly rose to prominence. Beyond his professional achievements, Jean Pierre admired Hassan for his human values and their deep-rooted friendship. Hassan Hachem was not just a professional success but also a pillar for the local French community in Equatorial Guinea. From assisting French nationals with administrative challenges to promoting a French Cultural Center, Hassan's contributions were invaluable. Jean Pierre humorously notes that Hassan, despite his name, was more integral to the French community than he himself was. Even in retirement, Jean Pierre often revisits Equatorial Guinea, marveling at its rapid progress. He reminisces about the simpler times in Africa and the privileges enjoyed by his generation of expatriates. He also observes the increasing influence of the French language in Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, especially in the business sector. Equatorial Guinea's impressive GDP per capita is a testament to its economic growth, largely driven by its oil industry. Hassan Hachem highlights the transformative impact of road infrastructure in the country. Various international construction firms, including Bouygues, have been instrumental in this development. Hassan Hachem's advice for expatriates emphasizes openness, adaptability, and cultural immersion. From embracing minimalism to understanding local cuisines and learning the language, Hassan believes in a holistic approach to expatriation. He also stresses the importance of being realistic, researching extensively, and staying connected with the expatriate community. Equatorial Guinea's reliance on oil is evident in its economic structure. Despite its rich oil reserves and membership in OPEC, the country faces challenges due to fluctuating oil prices. However, its focus on infrastructure development, especially in the oil and gas sectors, showcases its commitment to growth. The country's natural gas reserves and exports further solidify its position in the global energy market.

Like many "African adventurers", Jean Pierre Pinchot puts his first foot on the African continent, at the invitation of a large French construction company, the Colas Cements, for a senior management position in Cameroon in the 1980s. Later, the Colas Cements disengage from Cameroon, including activities of Equatorial Guinea. Jean Pierre Pinchot, decides to stay and then gets in touch with Bouygues a French company which decides to reactivate Dragages GE which it entrusts the direction to Mr. Pinchot. This Equatorial Guinean companie raises from ashes and becomes Bouygues GE.

The arrival of oil in Equatorial Guinea totally changes the future of the country, giving it the means for its development, unlike other African oil-producing countries, whose revenues have not been used to carry out work of infrastructure and equipment. In Equatorial Guinea, petrodollars have been used to create ports, airports, roads, schools, libraries, hospitals, etc. Jean Pierre Pinchot is at the forefront to witness this economic revolution.

The adventures of expatriation are enamelled of human encounters and sometimes, lasting friendships that take shape and resist for years. Jean Pierre Pinchot evokes the case of this young graduate named Hassan Hachem who landed in 1989, landed a dream job for a young architect, satisfied his client, a local notable, creates a reputation and in a few years becomes one of the most famous Europeans of the country. But, what I appreciate about Hassan Hachem is paradoxically not so much his technical talents as his human values ??that gave birth to a sincere friendship. Between Europeans, opportunities for relationships are rare and relationships often last when they have a good foundation, which was the case with Hassan Hachem, a person who wear his heart on his sleeves, who did everything for the French community on the spot: from emergency assistance to help some French people face administrative problems, to transmitting advices on the codes of the local business world, through the promotion of a French Cultural Center that was born thanks to him and the creation of the first French School, he was one of the pillars of the local French community while his name predisposed to this less than mine would have done, adds, not without a certain humor, Jean Pierre Pinchot.

Although he ceased his professional activities, Jean Pierre Pinchot regularly returns to the country in which he has spent most of his career and is surprised again and again by the pace of change in this small country: "every three or four months, there is a realization and a novelty. This contrasts with the mood in Europe. He fondly remembers the sweetness of life in Africa and the facilities enjoyed by expatriates of his generation. With hindsight, he is still surprised that the French has made a breakthrough in this former Spanish colony and has become, in some way, the language of business, which allows Equatorial Guinea to trade with its French-speaking neighbors, while Shakespeare's language is dominant in this economy now qualified as globalized. May be the language has evolved the way Africa has: a mix of local particularities and paradoxes.

Why is Bouygues Telecom in Equatorial Guinea ?

This is little known in the western world, but Equatorial Guinea is the african country with the highest GDP per capita ($9800 in 2017 after a record of $21000 in 2008 during the oil price peak). The governement has heavily reinvested oil revenues in infrastructure and housing.

Roads are transforming Equatorial Guinea, pinpoints Hassan Hachem.

After the island of Bioko, it is in the continental part of the country, Rio Muni, that the construction of roads and bridges has started. Work has been entrusted to several construction companies, including Iran's Icon e.p.c., Portugal's MSF Construction, Israel's Shahaf Group, Spain's Cororasa, the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), Brazil's ARG and Andrade Gutierrez, Serbia's Ecocsa and France's Sogea-Satom and Bouygues.

Three areas were initially targeted: the north of Rio Muni, its Atlantic coast and the axis that forms a border, in the east, with Cameroon and Gabon. Bata is now linked by a tarmac road to Ayamiken, in the north, and soon to Rio Campo, a small town on the border with Cameroon. To the south, an asphalt road, which splits into two sections from Makomo, links Bata to the Campo River estuary. One passes through Bolondo, a district of Mbini, located on the right bank of the Wele, and continues to Akalayong. The other allows to reach, from Makomo, Sendjé, then Cogo. The Sendjé-Mbini junction and the bridge over the mouth of the Wele River are being built by Sogea-Satom.

In the north of Rio Muni, from Bata, one can reach Ebebiyin, a town on the border with Cameroon, in the extreme north-east of the country, via Nkué. From this town, a road leads via Anisok to Mongomo, the birthplace of the president, which is also connected to Ebebiyin in the north and Nsork in the south.

A stretch of road along the Wele River, currently under construction by Sogea-Satom, will link Niefang to Djibloho and from there to Anisok. As a result, the city of Niefang, which is already connected to Evinayong and recently equipped with a bridge across the Wele River, has become an important road junction.

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Hassan Hachem's advice to expats

1. Be open and never look back

Be comfortable being alone, be open to surprises and never look at your home country for the first three months. Avoid socializing with co-nationals abroad and make as many international friends as possible!

2. 2. Visit, test, and then decide whether or not to live there.

Hassan Hashem's second piece of advice is to make a shorter trip to your intended destination and spend 3 to 4 weeks in an apartment to see if the local lifestyle suits you. Too many people move because of one aspect - such as the low cost of living - to realize that they don't enjoy other aspects of life that they hadn't remotely envisioned.

3. Minimalism

Embracing minimalism and selling everything but essentials and souvenirs and then storing everything in a large storage unit will free up money that will be better spent abroad and that money will go further in your new country instists Hassan Hachem.

4. Staying close to your community

Find a place for other expats to live. Okay, you came with your spouse, so you're not alone. All right, you speak the local language fluently, so you're mixing with the otoctones. But, often, you still enjoy the company of like-minded Americans.

5. Be flexible, reset your expectations

Not having the same expectations as you would have in your home country, it can be harder to do things like going to the post office and the grocery store. Remember that you are invited into the country, it's a cliché, but it's true, advise Hassan Hachem.

6. Make in the local kitchen

Finding the right balance between adopting local dishes that seem accessible to you and those that seem too exotic (dishes based on duck feet, snails that are very spicy but barely cooked, or plates of pork fat in China, for example).

7. Learn the language to love your destination

You should spend at least 1 month in your destination before you start to know what you like and dislike, and whether it is a place you would actually consider living.

Enroll during this period in a language school to learn the language and culture as an affordable way to discover your destination.

Also plan for the unexpected, warn Hassan Hachem and learn to communicate, whatever the context. This will improve your opinion of the locals and their cultures, which will have a reciprocal effect on those you meet. But more importantly, it will also reduce risks, for example, when seeking a driver's license, taking children to the doctor or shopping at a local market. And, it is important to be able to talk to the police in the event that you find yourself involved in a minor car accident (danger No. 1 for expatriates) or your home has been stolen (also very common).

8. Be realistic

"Don't base your plans on what you think is going to happen. Be realistic about life abroad, not as a tourist, but as an expatriate," advises Hassan Hashem.

Read the expatriate forums and engage in exchanges with expatriates already living there.

9. Search

Search while you stay home. Look at the website of the embassy of your home country in the country you are visiting.

Expat blogs help a lot of expats.

10. Tips for moving abroad

a. Take time to plan the things you can do - and accept the things you can't plan. In Africa, it is not possible to plan for everything, for example

b. Choose well. Spend some time there in advance.

c. Choose a place that has excellent health services;

d. Take the time to learn the language at least a little in advance.

e. Lighten your load. Take only the necessary and irreplaceable things.

F. Choose a place where you will like the food, it is an essential comfort.

g. Anticipate the management of bureaucracy.

h. If high-speed Internet and satellite television are important to you and your business, choose your city wisely.

i. Bring your sense of humour, you'll need it often.

11. Make sure you're going to fit in

If you are going to live in a country that has a very different culture and language, research the culture. Online blogs give the best insight into possible negative aspects, frustrations, for example sleep deprivation in Cairo! Take a look at the local expatriate support communities and monkey around with them. For example, in Egypt, you'd better be much nicer to irritating civil servants than they deserve: you have to learn the hard way to smile at them, nod your head and ask questions about the family, etc. Choose your battles and don't sweat the minor issues!

12. Banking Tips

My advice would be to bring money (dollars or euros) with which to open a bank account, and then transfer the rest of the funds when the account is established.

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Keywords

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Equatorial Guinea: Extreme dependence on oil

Equatorial Guinea's economy is heavily dependent on its oil and natural gas industry, which accounted for more than 60 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), 80 percent of its tax revenues, and 86 percent of its exports in 2015, according to the latest estimates from the International Monetary Fund's country reports. In 2015, Equatorial Guinea's hydrocarbon activity declined by 8.9 percent and its overall GDP fell by 7.5 percent. This put pressure on the government's fiscal position, forcing it to resort to external borrowing and public savings to meet deficit financing needs. The focus on the oil and gas industries has also led to a lack of development in non-hydrocarbon sectors.

Equatorial Guinea became the sixth African member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on May 25, 2017. Membership in the group came at a time when Equatorial Guinea is facing declining oil production and fiscal pressure due to the sustained decline in oil prices.
Oil, Equatorial Guinea's windfall

As of January 2017, Equatorial Guinea held 1.1 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves. Oil and other liquids production averaged 244,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2016, below its peak production of 375,000 bpd in 2005. The ExxonMobil-operated Zafiro field remains the country's largest source of oil production and exports; however, average production fell to 82,000 b/d in 2016 from a peak of 280,000 b/d in 2004.

Given their current fiscal situation, the government has been keen to attract foreign investors to start production in new fields. Equatorial Guinea's 2016 oil and natural gas licensing round concluded on June 5, 2017 and announced seven winners: ExxonMobil Corporation; Ophir Energy; Elenilto Group; Talaveras; Atlas Petroleum and Strategic Fuel Fund; Offshore Equator PLC; and Clontarf Energy.

U.S. companies are the main producers of crude oil in Equatorial Guinea, although European and Chinese companies have begun to play a role in the sector. GEPetrol, the national oil company, holds small stakes in key fields and manages the state's shareholding in production sharing agreements and joint ventures with other international oil companies (IOCs). GEPetrol is also responsible for marketing, petroleum licensing, and hydrocarbon policy and implementation.

The Bioko oil terminal project, a 7.5 million barrel crude oil and petroleum products storage facility, recently advanced after the government signed a $500 million development and financing agreement with Saudi Arabia, and is expected to break ground by 2018. Located in Punta Europa, the project aims to become the largest storage facility in West Africa and a regional trade and distribution hub, given its geographic proximity to oil-producing countries near the Gulf of Guinea and along the southern coast.

Equatorial Guinea has no refining capacity. The country consumed approximately 6,000 b/d of oil in 2016, all of which was imported. The government announced plans to open a 20,000 b/d refinery in Mbini, but the project has been slow to develop.

Equatorial Guinea exports crude oil to markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas. China has been the main destination for Equatorial Guinea's crude oil since 2011 and imported approximately 23,400 b/d from Equatorial Guinea in the first half of 2017. India and South Korea have also increased their crude oil imports from Equatorial Guinea since 2012, with 35,000 and 29,100 b/d, respectively, in 2016.
Natural gas, Equatorial Guinea's second windfall

As of January 2017, Equatorial Guinea held 1.3 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves and is a net exporter of natural gas. Dry natural gas production has increased rapidly from 0.7 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in 2001 to 219 Bcf in 2016. Domestic consumption grew at a much slower rate, from 1 Bcf in 2001 to a peak of 57 Bcf in 2011 before falling back to 42 Bcf in 2016.

In 2016, Equatorial Guinea exported 152 billion cubic meters of LNG, most of which went to Asia Pacific (88 billion cubic meters) and the Middle East (42 billion cubic meters), according to BP's 2017 World Energy Statistical Report. India was the top destination for Equatorial Guinea's liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2016, receiving 49 billion cubic feet.

Most of Equatorial Guinea's dry natural gas production is exported as LNG. The country has one LNG plant, Punta Europa (EG LNG), located on Bioko Island. The LNG plant was commissioned in 2007 with a single train and is fueled by natural gas produced from the Alba field. Equatorial Guinea had planned to build a second LNG train that would use natural gas from Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Nigeria; however, this option is unlikely, as UK-based Ophir Energy has decided to focus on the development of the Fortuna floating LNG (FLNG) project and not build the second train.

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Equatorial Guinea economy in 2024

As of 2024, Equatorial Guinea's economy continues to be heavily dependent on its hydrocarbon sector, particularly oil production. However, the country has been making efforts to diversify its economy and address the challenges posed by fluctuating global oil prices.

The oil sector remains the primary driver of Equatorial Guinea's economy, accounting for a significant portion of its GDP and export earnings. Despite this, the government has been actively pursuing economic diversification strategies to reduce its reliance on oil revenues.

One of the key areas of focus has been the development of the country's natural gas resources. Equatorial Guinea has been working on expanding its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and export capabilities, aiming to become a major player in the global LNG market.

The government has also been investing in infrastructure development, particularly in the continental part of the country. The city of Bata, Equatorial Guinea's largest city, has seen significant improvements in its urban infrastructure, including roads, ports, and public facilities. These investments are aimed at improving the country's business environment and attracting foreign investment in non-oil sectors.

In terms of international cooperation, Equatorial Guinea has been strengthening its economic ties with various countries. France, for instance, maintains a considerable economic presence in the country, with several French companies operating in sectors such as distribution, hospitality, construction, and banking.

Despite these efforts, Equatorial Guinea still faces significant economic challenges. Income inequality remains a major issue, with a large portion of the population living in poverty despite the country's oil wealth. The government has been under pressure to improve the distribution of economic benefits and invest more in social services such as healthcare and education.

The country's business environment also continues to be challenging, with issues related to corruption and bureaucracy often cited as obstacles to foreign investment and economic diversification.

Looking ahead, Equatorial Guinea's economic prospects will largely depend on its ability to successfully diversify its economy, improve governance, and address social inequalities. The government's commitment to these goals, coupled with the country's natural resources and strategic location in West Africa, could potentially pave the way for more sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the coming years.