• IMF plans a staff mission to Gabon in February, with no formal program request filed.
• Authorities say they intend to work toward IMF support after recent government changes.
• Rising debt and tighter financing conditions are increasing pressure on public finances.

The International Monetary Fund plans to send a staff mission to Gabon in February as part of its ongoing dialogue with the authorities, despite the absence of a formal request for an IMF-supported program. An IMF spokesperson confirmed the visit on January 23.

The mission comes as contacts intensify with the new government team formed after a recent cabinet reshuffle in Libreville. The IMF said the authorities have stepped up exchanges with the institution and indicated their intention to work toward a possible IMF-backed program, while stressing that no official request has been filed so far.

The signal was reinforced last week by Gabon’s new minister of economy, finance, debt and state holdings, in charge of the fight against high living costs, Thierry Minko (pictured). In an official Jan. 21 statement, he said the government was committed to implementing an economic growth program “with the support of the IMF” and to strengthening technical and institutional engagement with the Bretton Woods institution. The statement framed the approach as serving the macroeconomic interest of the CEMAC sub-region and Gabon’s economic and social development goals, without setting a timeline or legal basis for a formal program request.

Financing needs under strain

These announcements come as financial pressures build in Libreville. Limited access to international financing has increased Gabon’s reliance on regional capital markets. In December 2025, Fitch Ratings downgraded the country’s foreign-currency sovereign rating, pointing to a marked decline in investor appetite for Gabonese debt.

The IMF said the February mission will review recent macroeconomic and fiscal trends and discuss reform priorities and public policy options with the authorities.

In October, former vice president Alexandre Barro Chambrier said Gabon was not considering debt restructuring or reprofiling. He also referred to work under way to revise national accounts, including a recalculation of gross domestic product that could improve the debt-to-GDP ratio. Fitch estimates Gabon’s public debt at about 80.4% of GDP in 2025, up from about 72.9% in 2024, and expects it to keep rising to around 85-87% by 2027 due to persistent budget deficits.

No formal negotiations with the IMF are under way at this stage. Still, the planned February mission underscores continued close engagement between Libreville and the international financial institution as economic and financial constraints tighten.

Fiacre E. Kakpo