Libreville — The World Bank Group (WBG) has appointed Mr. Sylvain Kakou as Country Manager for the Republic of Gabon. This appointment reflects the WBG’s commitment to strengthening country-level leadership and enhancing the development impact of its programs. In his new role, Mr. Kakou will work to strengthen partnerships with the government, private sector, civil society, and development partners. He will lead the design and implementation of country engagement programs and coordinate the country team’s efforts to advance poverty reduction and shared prosperity. “I am honored to lead the first joint World Bank Group representation in Gabon. With a clear mandate to support the government’s efforts to reduce poverty, create jobs, and mobilize private capital,” said Sylvain Kakou, World Bank Group Country Manager for Gabon. “I am confident that our strengthened presence will help generate more opportunities for youth, women, and communities across the country.” A national of Cote d’Ivoire,...

Three Gabonese companies have been selected for a regional program that will help prepare businesses for initial public offerings on the Central African Stock Exchange, as regulators seek to increase the number of listed firms on the BVMAC. The CEMAC Financial Institutions Reform Management Unit announced the results of its call for expressions of interest on July 10. Four companies were selected, including Gabon’s Samb’a Assurances, Gabon Power Company and Façade Maritime Champ Triomphal. The program will cover IPO preparation costs, one of the main barriers to listing. The initiative is backed by the Bank of Central African States, the Central African Financial Market Supervisory Commission, the BVMAC and the African Development Bank. It is designed to help companies access capital markets while expanding the depth of the regional exchange. The selected companies represent different sectors. Samb’a Assurances operates in digital microinsurance and increased revenue by 136% in 2025 to...

Gabon’s outstanding public debt rose 23% year-on-year to 8,780.3 billion FCFA at the end of December 2025, driven by a sharp increase in domestic borrowing as the government shifted away from traditional external financing. According to the Directorate General of Debt, external debt stood at 4,127.6 billion FCFA, while domestic debt reached 4,652.7 billion FCFA. Total public debt increased by 1,647 billion FCFA from the end of 2024. While external debt declined by 40.9 billion FCFA, or 0.98%, domestic debt surged by 1,687.9 billion FCFA, up 57% from a year earlier. The regional financial market became the largest source of domestic debt, with outstanding securities reaching 3,449.9 billion FCFA, representing about 39% of Gabon’s total public debt. The 2026 supplementary budget reinforces this strategy, increasing treasury and financing resources to 2,251.8 billion FCFA. The shift was driven by a sharp rise in government securities issuance, which climbed to 1,282.8 billion...

Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema begins a three-day official visit to France on Monday, underlining the close relationship between Paris and one of its few remaining key allies in Francophone Africa. Oligui Nguema, on his second official visit to France, will be joined by an 80-strong delegation of business chiefs and political officials. Gabon presidency spokesperson Théophane Nzame-Nze Biyoghe told reporters that the trip “will be an opportunity for the two heads of state… to follow up on the agreements signed in Libreville last November”. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn The visit marks another step in Oligui’s rehabilitation after he seized power in an August 2023 coup that ended more than five decades of rule by the Bongo family. He was elected president in April 2025 after winning nearly 95 percent of votes. “The sky has been cloudless between Libreville and Paris since the...

French mining group Eramet is considering a major expansion of manganese processing in Gabon under an agreement that could strengthen the country’s industrial base, modernise its railway network and reduce its reliance on exports of unprocessed ore. The Eramet group announced on Monday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gabonese government during President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema’s state visit to France. The agreement sets out a joint industrial roadmap under which Eramet would examine investments allowing up to 700,000 tonnes of manganese ore to be processed locally each year by 2031. In return, Gabon has undertaken to provide the conditions needed to make the projects economically viable, including reliable access to energy. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn The memorandum marks an important step in Gabon’s drive to retain more of the value generated by its mineral wealth. The country is one...

President Adama Barrow will host the President of the Gabonese Republic, His Excellency Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, for a State Visit to The Gambia from 30th July to 2nd August 2026, aimed at strengthening the longstanding bilateral relations between the two countries. During the visit, the two Heads of State will hold a tête-à-tête, followed by official bilateral talks at State House in Banjul to review existing areas of cooperation and explore new opportunities for partnership between the two countries. President Oligui Nguema will also visit key government infrastructure projects and historical areas. These include: The National Food & Drug Quality Control Laboratory in Brusubi; the University of The Gambia, Faraba Campus; the National Emergency Treatment Centre in Farato; Kachikally Crocodile Pool in Bakau. The visit will be marked by a State Banquet hosted by President Barrow in honour of his distinguished guest, and will reaffirm the shared commitment of...

Ghana and Gabon have decried xenophobia, underscoring the need for Africans to collectively shun and decisively address the menace and all forms of discrimination. The two countries argued that xenophobia threatened the cohesion and shared progress of the continent and affects the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The two countries made the call in a communique issued and signed by their respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Marie-Edith Tassyla-Ye-Doumbenen after a bilateral meeting between President John Dramani Mahama and his Gabonese counterpart, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, at the Presidency in Accra on Tuesday. Mr Nguema is on a three-day state visit to Ghana at the invitation of President Mahama as both countries seek to further strengthen bilateral relations between them. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines Related Articles The call by the two countries comes on the back of renewed xenophobic...

Gabon’s President, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, will begin a three-day official visit to Ghana today. The visit, which ends on Wednesday, is at the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama. President Oligui Nguema is expected to be accompanied by a high-level delegation made up of government ministers, senior officials and members of the Gabonese business community. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines A statement issued by the Minister for Government Communications, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, described the visit as another milestone in the growing bilateral relations between Ghana and Gabon. It said the two Heads of State would hold a private meeting, followed by official bilateral talks at the Jubilee House in Accra on July 28, 2026. According to the statement, the discussions would provide an opportunity for both leaders to review the current state of relations and explore new areas of cooperation. These, it said,...