Gabon is gradually moving towards a diversified economy. This aspiration was reiterated on May 29 2024 by the Gabonese delegation at the Gabon France Economic Forum. This first edition was therefore an opportunity to present business opportunities to investors… projects included in the national transition development plan. And the challenge is huge: the authorities have two years to implement it.
It was not a coup d’état but rather a coup de liberté. With these words, the transitional president of Gabon, Brice Clothaire Oligui Nguema, closed the first Gabon-France economic forum held on May 29 2024 at the Salons Hoche in Paris. In front of French entrepreneurs, the Gabonese leader presented his vision of a new Gabon. A Gabon that aspires to revitalise its partnership with the French authorities. To forge new links. The transitional president did not fail to mention the measures put in place to attract investors, particularly on the legal front.
‘Gabon now offers investment security, thanks to the efforts made to protect foreign investment and fight corruption. In this respect, we are constantly working to improve the business environment thanks to ANPI Gabon, a genuine support tool for digitalising investors. In the same vein, preferential economic zones have been set up, in addition to a specific framework for developing public-private partnerships.’
Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Transitional President – Gabon
In addition to the economic aspect, this forum also had strong symbolic significance. The Gabonese delegation was keen to reassure investors at a time when France is being roundly criticised by certain military regimes. But unlike some West African states that have opted for a break with the past, Gabon has opted for continuity…
‘Today, there are French companies that have been established in Gabon for a long time, and our aim today is to maintain these partnerships, and also improve them so that we can enter into genuine win-win partnerships. They are investors and they already know our country better than others. We share the same language, we have a common history; it’s true that it’s tainted by colonisation, but there was independence and today we’re in a position to build win-win partnerships, not only with France, but also with the rest of the world’
Laurence Ndong, Minister of Communication and Media – Gabon
The first Gabon-France forum resulted in the signing of several agreements worth over 739 billion FCFA. This sum will be used to partly finance the National Transitional Development Plan. This plan is based on 6 points for healthier governance and resilient economic activity.
