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With 5% growth in the secondary sector in 2014, Gabon’s industrialisation continues apace under the Emerging Gabon plan, supported by investors in agro-industry, construction materials, forestry and petrochemicals. Special economic zones are being developed to process raw commodities into products with higher value added, fed partly by new projects in the mining sector. This chapter includes interviews with Christophe Akagha-Mba, Minister of Mines, Industry and Tourism; and Fabrice Nzé-Békalé, CEO, Société Equatoriale des Mines (SEM).

The government is aiming to boost agriculture’s contribution to GDP to 20% by 2025 through partnership with international institutions and private enterprises. It also intends to reduce food imports, which reached €523.8m in 2014. Efforts are under way to ensure that sector management is sustainable. This chapter includes interviews with Gagan Gupta, Country Head, Olam; and Gert Vandersmissen, Group COO, SIAT.

Banking growth is expected to be subdued due to the fall in oil prices, though new developments such as the introduction of mobile money services and increased inter-bank cooperation have served the sector in good stead over the long run. Insurance, meanwhile, grew by 3.3% in 2014, mainly due to the uptick in industry and infrastructure activity. This chapter includes interviews with Edgar Théophile Anon, Managing Director, BGFIBank Gabon; and Bernard Bartoszek, Former President, Federation of Gabonese Insurance Companies.

Oil is the lifeblood of Gabon’s economy, representing half of state revenues and around 80% of export earnings in 2014. The absence of major new discoveries, declining production at mature fields and the halving of oil prices over the past year have dampened the short-term outlook, leading to a push for enhanced oil recovery and new exploration. If confirmed, recent offshore gas discoveries will help to boost output. This chapter includes interviews with Etienne Dieudonné Ngoubou, Minister of Petroleum and Hydrocarbons; and Serge Toulekima, CEO, Gabon Oil Company.

Gabon has seen stable growth over the past five years, aided in part by a government drive to promote diversification in line with its Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan. However, its continued dependence on oil has left the country vulnerable to external shocks, and the low-price environment of 2014 and 2015 will likely cause complications for the next two to three years, as the authorities grapple with lower budgets and greater debt challenges. This chapter includes interviews with Régis Immongault, Minister of Economy; Madeleine Berre, President, Gabonese Employers’ Confederation, and Partner & General Manager, Deloitte Legal and Tax; and Nina Abouna, Director-General, National Investment Promotion Agency (ANPI).