Gabon's ambassador to Benelux advocates for local processing of critical raw materials for ACP countries
via Gabon Review3 min read
Régis Immongault Tatangani, Gabon's ambassador to Benelux, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States OACPS at a high-level conference in Luxembourg on June 24, 2026, called for a paradigm shift in the exploitation of critical raw materials. The conference was organized with the European Investment Bank EIB. Tatangani advocated for a model based on local processing of resources, industrial upgrading, and more balanced international partnerships, citing Gabon as an example. He emphasized that the increasing global demand for strategic minerals, driven by energy transition, emerging technologies, and green industry, presents a significant opportunity for producing countries. However, he argued that this requires breaking away from the traditional model of exporting raw natural resources. Tatangani questioned how to transform natural resource abundance into inclusive growth, employment, and sustainable prosperity, noting that the current economic model, which relies heavily on exporting unprocessed raw materials, has limitations, referencing the "Dutch syndrome." He stated that the real challenge is to move up value chains to create more wealth on the continent. This involves an integrated strategy "from mine to port," combining essential energy, rail, logistics, and industrial infrastructure for local resource processing. Such an approach requires coherent articulation between extraction, processing, transport, and industrial competitiveness
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