Gabon

Increased public and private investment is needed to revitalise Gabon’s agriculture sector and increase its contribution to GDP beyond the current level of 3.8%. Gabon’s rich natural environment, conducive to many agricultural products, has already drawn the attention of international investors.

With almost 14m ha of exploitable rainforest, 400 species of wood and one of the lowest levels of deforestation in the world, tropical rainforests are some of Gabon’s most abundant and promising resources. The forestry industry has traditionally been focused on raw timber exports, with over 60% of production going directly to markets in Europe and...

Despite its relatively high GDP per capita, Gabon’s dispersed rural population, difficult terrain and institutional incapacity have all contributed to a glaring infrastructure deficit. Over the past two years, however, the government has poured massive public investment into infrastructure. The results have been encouraging, as evidenced by the...

While oil was first discovered in Gabon in 1953, it was not until the early 1970s that substantial production began. Since then, the exploitation of petroleum reserves has been the dominant generator of revenue for the Gabonese economy, accounting for around 52% of GDP and 58% of government revenues in 2011.

Oil refining has a long history in Gabon. Société Raffinage du Gabon (SOGARA) was the first refinery in Central Africa and has been in production for nearly half a century. In recent years, however, SOGARA has struggled with outdated equipment, limited capacity and an output that is not suited to local demand. Gabon’s refinery has not been able to...

Faced with stagnating oil reserves, Gabon’s long-term economic growth depends on the successful diversification of the economy. Barring any major new discoveries, Gabon’s oil output is forecast to fall significantly over the course of the next 20 years, exerting pressure on a government that currently depends on oil revenues for 58% of its budget...