• Gabon signs two major financing agreements with Afreximbank totaling over $3.2 billion.
• Projects target mining sector transformation, expanded energy capacity, and improved transport infrastructure.
• Initiatives aim to address the country’s chronic energy shortages and support economic diversification.

Gabon has secured over $3.2 billion in financing from Afreximbank to support key industrial and energy projects critical to the country’s economic transformation. The agreements were signed on June 27, on the sidelines of Afreximbank’s annual meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, which took place from June 25 to June 28, 2025.

The first agreement involves a $3 billion loan to fund multiple projects focused on boosting the mining sector. Key initiatives include building local manganese processing facilities, increasing national energy generation capacity, and constructing a new railway line to improve logistics and connect mining and industrial zones. This strategic investment supports Gabon’s goal of strengthening its local value chains and reducing reliance on unprocessed raw material exports.

The second agreement covers a €200 million loan (about $234.6 million) to finance the construction of three power plants in Libreville, Port-Gentil, and Lambaréné, scheduled between 2025 and 2027. According to Gabonese authorities, these plants will collectively add 300 megawatts to the country’s installed energy capacity, a critical step to meet surging electricity demand.

These financings come at a time when Gabon is grappling with an ongoing energy crisis and widespread challenges in providing reliable potable water. The Gabonese Energy and Water Company (SEEG) has struggled to keep pace with rising demand, limiting economic growth and undermining living conditions. In response, the government has launched a Strategic Investment Plan for the energy and water sectors for the period 2025-2027, which estimates total financing needs at over CFA3,000 billion ($5.36 billion).

Sandrine Gaingne