Keypoints:
- Raw manganese exports banned from 2029
- Strategy aims to boost local processing
- Public-private fund to support transition
GABON will end all exports of raw manganese starting in 2029 as part of a sweeping plan to boost local industrial capacity and maximise returns from its mineral wealth, President Brice Oligui Nguema has announced.
The policy, revealed in a government statement published on Saturday, will take effect from January 1, 2029, giving industry players a three-year window to prepare for the shift. The move positions Gabon as the latest African country to take steps to process more of its natural resources domestically instead of exporting them in raw form.
Strategic shift to value-added production
Manganese, widely used in stainless steel production and electric vehicle batteries, is a key source of revenue for Gabon, alongside timber and oil. The Central African nation is the world’s second-largest producer of the mineral, making the planned export ban a significant change to the global supply chain.
President Oligui said the new direction is part of an ambitious industrial strategy designed to transform Gabon’s economy by adding value locally. According to the official government statement, the goal is to foster domestic processing, boost skilled employment, expand technology capacity, and increase state revenue.
Three-year timeline and investment support
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Friday, President Oligui ordered the ‘formal ban… from January 1, 2029, of the export of raw manganese.’ To ease the transition, the government said it will create a public-private investment fund to support the sector’s adaptation and infrastructure development.
‘This is not just about banning exports,’ the statement noted. ‘It’s about building a national industry that can transform its own raw materials, raise competence levels, and secure technological mastery.’
Industrial policy echoes wider African shift
The move aligns with broader efforts across Africa to climb higher in global supply chains and derive greater benefit from abundant mineral resources. Several countries in the region have introduced similar bans or restrictions on unprocessed mineral exports in recent years, including Zimbabwe, Namibia and Ghana.
By requiring local processing of manganese, Gabon hopes to stimulate job creation, encourage domestic investment, and ensure a more resilient and diversified economy.
Chicken import ban also introduced
In a parallel policy announced during the same cabinet session, Gabon said it would ban imports of chicken meat starting in January 2027, in another step aimed at encouraging local production and improving food security.
Despite its natural wealth, nearly one in three Gabonese citizens lives in poverty, with 10 percent of the population facing food insecurity, according to recent data.
President Oligui pushes post-coup economic reforms
President Oligui, who seized power in a coup that ended the decades-long rule of the Bongo family, was later elected in April with nearly 95 percent of the vote. His administration has pledged to reform the economy, fight corruption, and ensure that Gabon’s resource wealth better serves its people.
The latest moves on manganese and agricultural imports reflect that push, marking a decisive pivot toward industrial sovereignty and self-reliance.
