Afreximbank Brief Highlights Gabon’s Push Beyond Oil

The African Export-Import Bank has released a Country Brief on Gabon, examining the Central African economy’s macroeconomic outlook, trade performance, financial sector, debt sustainability, resource base and diversification plans.

The assessment presents Gabon as one of Africa’s wealthier economies, with estimated real GDP per capita of about USD8,641 in 2026. The country has a population of 2.7 million and access to international shipping routes through the ports of Owendo and Port-Gentil on the Atlantic coast.

Growth and trade outlook

According to the brief, real GDP growth is forecast to reach 3.3% in 2026, supported by stronger hydrocarbons receipts. Inflation is expected to remain at 2.3%, which the report places within the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa regional threshold.

Gabon’s total trade in goods and services increased from USD9.1 billion in 2020 to USD17.4 billion in 2024. The country maintained a trade surplus throughout the period covered by the assessment.

Despite that performance, the report says Gabonese exports remain heavily concentrated in crude oil. It also identifies manganese as an increasingly important part of the country’s economic strategy. Manganese is used in steel production and electric vehicle batteries, and Gabon is described as one of the world’s largest producers of the mineral.

Special economic zones and processing

The government is using special economic zones to attract private investment into higher-value processing and manufacturing. The network includes the Nkok Special Economic Zone near Libreville, as well as sites at Inkolo and Mpassa-Lebombi. Another zone is planned near Port-Gentil.

The brief also reports that a ban on raw manganese exports is planned for January 2029. The stated objective is to encourage more local processing and increase value addition within Gabon. The measure remains a plan and has not yet taken effect.

Gabon’s Plan National de Croissance et de Développement for 2026-2030 places emphasis on macroeconomic stability, infrastructure and private sector participation. The Afreximbank assessment identifies infrastructure investment as an important driver of the country’s economic transformation.

Infrastructure and financial inclusion

The Gabonese government committed USD197 million to infrastructure projects in 2025, compared with USD81 million allocated in 2024. Planned works include road construction and rehabilitation, including the 166-kilometre Kougouleu-Medouneu corridor.

The World Bank signed USD150 million in financing in April 2026. Separately, a partnership established with the United Nations Capital Development Fund in December 2025 aims to modernize digital financial services and support wider financial inclusion.

Dr. Yemi Kale, Afreximbank’s Group Chief Economist and Managing Director for Research, said Gabon’s resources, Atlantic position and plans for local processing create opportunities for deeper trade and investment.

“The country’s diversification agenda, including special economic zones, infrastructure development and expanded manganese processing, can help strengthen industrial capacity, create value-added exports and broaden economic activity beyond hydrocarbons,” Kale said.

The brief’s assessment places Gabon’s diversification effort at the center of its economic outlook, with industrial expansion, improved infrastructure and greater use of domestic resources presented as routes toward broader economic activity.