Gabon sets ambitious 7% growth target by 2030 with new economic plan

Gabon’s economy has long been stuck below 5% growth, but President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema is now pushing for a dramatic shift away from the country’s long-standing rentier model.

In a recent interview, he laid out a strategic roadmap designed to awaken the nation’s potential and achieve a growth rate of 6% to 7% by the end of the decade.

Breaking the rentier illusion

According to the head of state, the diagnosis of Gabon’s economic stagnation is clear: the country has lived on a rent-based model that generates neither strong nor inclusive growth. He pointed to the raw export of oil and manganese as a major economic absurdity, stating that exporting raw materials means exporting jobs.

Three pillars of a new economic era

To correct this path and build a robust, job-creating economy, the president’s strategy rests on three fundamental pillars:

1. Systematic industrialisation through local processing of raw materials.
2. Economic diversification, with a strong push towards agriculture and services.
3. Improving the business climate to attract investment and create a favourable environment.

The PNCD 2026-2030: A recovery weapon

This vision takes concrete form in the National Growth and Development Plan (PNCD) for 2026-2030. The plan aims to push the country’s growth rate to an unprecedented level of between 6% and 7%. It targets strategic sectors with high future potential: manganese processing, poultry and cattle farming, digital expansion, and the monetisation of Gabon’s forest wealth through carbon markets.

President Oligui Nguema emphasised that Gabon has the resources but lacked governance. With governance restored, he is determined to place Gabon among the most dynamic nations on the continent by 2030.