• Gabon appoints Sosthène Nguema mines minister in Jan. 2026 reshuffle

• Mining budget jumps 1,400% as government targets sector expansion

• Strategy seeks reduce oil reliance, boost manganese output, local processing

Gabon's former oil and gas minister, Sosthène Nguema Nguema, was appointed minister of mines and geological resources on Jan. 1, 2026, under a new government named by President Brice Oligui Nguema.

An engineer by training, Nguema entered public office as a member of the Transitional Parliament formed after the August 2023 coup. He later headed the oil and gas portfolio, which underpins Gabon’s export earnings. In the September and October 2025 legislative elections, he was elected to parliament on the ticket of the ruling Democratic Union of Builders (UDB).

He succeeds Gilles Nembé, who had led the mines ministry since January 2024. Mining is a strategic pillar of Gabon’s economy, accounting for about 6% of GDP and 7% of extractive revenues. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) estimated those revenues at 1,570 billion CFA francs ($2.80 billion) in 2022.

The government aims to raise the sector’s contribution. The proposed 2026 budget for the mines ministry is 68.12 billion CFA francs ($121 million), up roughly 1,400% from 2025.

The broader strategy is to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons by expanding mining output. Priorities include new mineral exploration and tighter oversight of operators. The government also plans to optimize manganese production, as Gabon is the world’s second-largest producer, through the rehabilitation of the Transgabonais railway, which carries the ore to port.

The strategy further prioritizes local processing, including a planned ban on raw manganese exports from 2029. These measures will be among the new minister’s key priorities.

Emiliano Tossou