Gabon launches Kobé-Kobé deep-water port project, aiming to transform its economy by 2030
via Gabon Review3 min read
On June 8, 2026, President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema officially launched the Kobé-Kobé deep-water port project in Gabon. This initiative is envisioned as a national ambition to reshape Gabon's and Central Africa's economic landscape. The project is an integrated chain, not just a port, encompassing four key components. First, the Belinga mine in Ogooué-Ivindo, holding 7.5 billion tons of iron with a 65% content, is one of the world's largest undeveloped deposits. Its exploitation is managed by Australia's Fortescue, in partnership with the United Kingdom, with initial shipments already underway. Second, a 1,500-kilometer electric railway, awarded to China, will connect Belinga to the coast, with wagons and locomotives expected from the United States, aiming for 250 million tons of annual freight. Third, the port itself, with a targeted draft of 14 to 16 meters, will be built by Africa Global Logistics AGL, a subsidiary of MSC Group, which signed an agreement with the state in April 2026. This will be AGL's first bulk mineral port. Finally, three hydroelectric dams in the Booué area, managed by Italy's Todini Costruzioni Generali S.p.A, EDF, and a third operator yet to be selected, will provide energy. The long-term economic model includes on-site processing of the ore, a joint effort by China and Japan, to add value within Gabon rather than exporting raw materials. The project is expected to be operational by 2030, creating up to 160,000 direct and indirect jobs. President
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Must ReadA petition initiated by Gabonese students is challenging school regulations that mandate shaved heads for boys and prohibit certain natural hairstyles for girls. The petition, addressed to the President and the Minister of National Education, argues that these rules contradict the school's teaching of pride in African roots and create unnecessary physical formatting that leads to complexes among adolescents. With nearly 3,000 signatures and over 1,400 comments, the online mobilization highlights students being sanctioned or excluded from classes over hair length, despite focusing on their studies. The petitioners emphasize that intelligence is not linked to hairstyles and that well-maintained natural hair is compatible with academic concentration and respect for authority. They point out that no legal text supports these mandatory hair rules, which are merely custom copied across internal school regulations. The students are not seeking to abandon discipline but advocate for the right to wear neat, natural afros, short non-shaved hair for boys, and braids, twists, or locks made with their own hair for girls, without artificial additions. They argue that the current rules send a contradictory message about self-acceptance and question the number of class days lost due to these exclusions. The petition concludes with a plea for students to be allowed to study "with their heads held high."
The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation announced its plan to establish a presence in Gabon by December 2026. This announcement was made by Charles Oula Siehe, Special Advisor for Africa to the Foundation, following a meeting with Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema in Paris on July 22. President Nguema, who was on a state visit, gave his agreement in principle for the initiative. The Foundation's installation aims to support Gabon's environmental preservation and sustainable development policies, aligning with the country's environmental ambitions. It is also expected to strengthen cooperation between Libreville and the Principality of Monaco and support projects that improve the living conditions of the population. Established in 2006 by Prince Albert II of Monaco, the non-profit organization focuses on biodiversity, climate change, ocean protection, and sustainable water resource management, primarily in the Mediterranean basin, polar regions, and least developed countries. This move is part of its strategy to assist states with significant natural capital facing conservation and sustainable development challenges.
The Gabonese Agricultural Development Company SOGADA received over 55,000 day-old chicks in Libreville on Monday, July 20, all intended for egg laying. This significant arrival reinforces SOGADA's ambition to build a strong and competitive national poultry sector and sustainably increase its egg production. Hervé Patrick Opiangah, SOGADA's shareholder, has championed this goal for several years, aiming to contribute to Gabon's food security. SOGADA, operating with entirely private and Gabonese capital, has focused on local production even before food sovereignty became an official priority. The company's integrated model, built by Hervé Patrick Opiangah, relies on four pillars: biosecurity, innovation, industrial transformation, and the development of national skills, positioning it as a pioneer in modern poultry farming in Gabon. This influx of chicks represents a coherent industrial vision to increase domestic production and progressively reduce reliance on imports. SOGADA has created local jobs and offers products that meet high health standards. The company's short-cycle model ensures products are raised, harvested, fed, collected, and consumed locally, directly benefiting Gabonese consumers. Over the years, SOGADA has invested in modernizing its breeding infrastructure, developing egg carton manufacturing, and strengthening its biosecurity protocols, demonstrating a consistent effort to anticipate Gabon's needs.