Gabon's Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema calls for investors in water and electricity distribution
In his August 16 address to the Nation, Gabon's President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema highlighted that the primary challenge for water and electricity supply is no longer production, but rather transport and distribution. He acknowledged the unacceptable situation faced by thousands of households due to frequent outages, stating, "I know the cuts. I know the impatience of families, traders, and businesses. I know what they cost our economy and daily life." Oligui Nguema emphasized that increasing production is futile if the networks remain fragile, saturated, or poorly maintained. He openly invited investors and partners to position themselves in this "strategic market" for water and electricity transport and distribution, seeking serious actors capable of investing, innovating, and fulfilling public service obligations. While the speech did not detail the specific model or conditions for new operators, it signals a shift in government policy, opening the door to external capital and operators to address the aging and insufficient infrastructure.
