Search

Can Gabon’s digital push break the oil curse at last?

Aerial shot of multiple offshore oil platforms. Photo by Aron Razif @ Pexels
Aerial shot of multiple offshore oil platforms. Photo by Aron Razif @ Pexels
  • Digital sector surges, but poverty remains entrenched
  • Tech-led diversification faces governance and skills hurdles

 

LIBREVILLE, GABON — Oil-rich Gabon is racing to reinvent its economy through digital transformation, but deep structural challenges raise doubts about whether growth will translate into widespread prosperity.

Gabon ought to be one of Africa’s wealthiest nations. With a population of just 2.6 million, oil production exceeding 200,000 barrels per day, and exports spanning manganese and timber, the country’s resource base is formidable. Yet the lived reality tells a different story. Around 35% of the population lives below the poverty line, while unemployment hovers near 20%, reflecting a disconnect between national wealth and household welfare.

Recent Business

Aerial shot of multiple offshore oil platforms. Photo by Aron Razif @ Pexels
Can Gabon’s digital push break the oil curse at last?
Read More »
Men load rolls of fabric into a shipping container for export. Photo @Pexels
Ethiopia’s $10bn export moment: industrial ambition or political doctrine?
Read More »
Street vendor selling goods in traffic in Ghana. Photo by Carbell Sarfo @Pexels
Ghana’s T-bill warning signal: why seven straight auction misses are raising investor red flags
Read More »

Recent Politics

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi visiting Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple. Photo @ Wikimedia Commons
India’s Horn of Africa strategy has shifted: what it’s trying to do and how it could work
Read More »
Nigerian youth on the street. Photo by Salem Ochidi @ Unsplash
Treason case lays bare Nigeria’s hidden power struggles under Tinubu
Read More »
Benin Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni. Photo @Romuald Wadagni/Facebook
Benin election 2026: From fiscal discipline to political delivery - Wadagni’s real test begins
Read More »

Latest Posts

Latest news insights