• Government plans a new IMF-backed growth program after a two-year suspension
• Talks follow high-level exchanges between Gabonese authorities and the IMF
• Previous IMF program was suspended after implementation difficulties

More than two years after the suspension of its last agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Gabon is preparing to reengage with the Bretton Woods institution through a new economic growth program. The announcement was made yesterday by the minister of economy, finance, debt and state holdings, also in charge of tackling the high cost of living, Thierry Minko.

“The government hereby informs national and international opinion that Gabon will implement an economic growth program, with the support of the IMF, in the macroeconomic interest of the CEMAC sub-region and to meet the country’s economic and social development ambitions,” the minister said in a statement. He added that the program would be designed “in line with IMF procedures, in a spirit of responsibility, transparency, and cooperation, in the service of macroeconomic stability and national development.”

A renewed signal of IMF confidence

No details have yet been disclosed on the specific content of the new cooperation framework, which follows discussions held on November 5, 2025, between Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and an IMF delegation led by Abebe Aemro Selassie, director of the Africa Department. The talks focused on economic policy priorities, public finance sustainability, and medium-term growth prospects.

During that meeting, Mr. Selassie praised the reforms undertaken by Gabonese authorities to support the country’s economic and social transformation. He also reaffirmed the IMF’s commitment “to support Gabon in implementing its development priorities.” The institution renewed its confidence in Gabon’s economic potential and expressed “its willingness to support the realization of the head of state’s vision, for the benefit of the Gabonese people.”

A previously suspended program

Gabon’s last agreement with the IMF, approved in August 2021 under the Extended Credit Facility, was suspended after the third review failed due to implementation challenges.

In 2025, Gabonese authorities had already opened discussions with the IMF before pausing them to rethink an approach considered better aligned with national realities. At the time, former economy minister Henri-Claude Oyima called for a break with past models, noting that Gabon had gone through 17 IMF programs without delivering meaningful growth results. “It is time to change approach. We want to build a program by Gabonese and for Gabonese, seeking IMF support for our vision rather than copying their models,” he said.

Momentum toward renewed engagement with the IMF has since accelerated under the new economy minister. Just four days after his appointment, Thierry Minko received an IMF delegation, signaling the authorities’ intention to restore dialogue and open a new chapter in cooperation.

Sandrine Gaingne