• ACK Holding signed an agreement to acquire Colas Gabon, a subsidiary of Bouygues.

• The deal includes industrial assets and 254 employees, with completion expected between June and September 2026.

• The acquisition strengthens local presence in Gabon’s infrastructure sector amid Colas’ past controversies.

Holding ACK, owned by Gabonese businessman Alain-Claude Kouakoua, has signed an agreement to acquire Colas Gabon, as the group seeks to expand its footprint in the country’s infrastructure sector.

The company announced the agreement on Sunday, April 19. The transaction remains subject to completion in the coming months, with closing expected between June and September 2026. However, the parties have not disclosed the deal value.

Under the agreement, Holding ACK will take over the industrial assets of Colas Gabon. These assets include quarries, production facilities, and the entire workforce of 254 employees. Consequently, the buyer aims to ensure operational continuity while strengthening the role of a local operator in a strategic sector.

“This step marks a turning point for Holding ACK. We are proud to welcome the teams of Colas Gabon and their expertise, which will strengthen our capacity to develop structuring projects in Gabon,” Kouakoua said. He also serves as president of the Fédération des entreprises gabonaises, the country’s main business association.

French exit and strategic repositioning

On the French side, Colas, a subsidiary of Bouygues, explained that it sought to ensure business continuity through a “strong local player.” The company stated that such a player remains better positioned to safeguard operations for employees, clients, and partners.

Pierre Gilles Douriez, regional director for Colas in the Maghreb, Central Africa, and West Africa, said the group pursued this transition to maintain operational stability. However, this official rationale comes after a period of significant turbulence for the company in Gabon.

The shadow of overbilling allegations

Colas has operated in Gabon for nearly 50 years and has played a key role in major infrastructure projects such as the Transgabonese railway. Nevertheless, authorities challenged the company’s reputation in 2021 after a task force on external debt accused it of overbilling road construction projects.

Specifically, the company billed the renovation of the PK5–PK12 road section, a dual carriageway on the only route connecting Libreville to the rest of the country, at 10 billion CFA francs ($18 million) per kilometer. Authorities stated that the average cost typically ranges between 800 million and 1 billion CFA francs per kilometer.

Following these allegations, Colas committed to asphalt 9.5 kilometers of road to offset the overbilling. However, authorities have not provided any official update on whether the company fulfilled this commitment.

Colas Gabon has contributed to several major projects in the country. These projects include the development of the Transgabonese railway, Gabon’s only rail line, which entered service in 1986.

Sandrine Gaingne