Gabon announced it will stop exporting raw manganese starting in 2029 as part of a broader strategy to develop its domestic industry, President Brice Oligui Nguema declared in a government communiqué on Saturday.
Manganese, a key mineral used in manufacturing stainless steel and batteries, is among Gabon’s principal sources of income alongside timber and oil exports.
Addressing the council of ministers on Friday, Oligui ordered a “formal ban on the export of raw manganese from January 1, 2029,” according to the statement. Gabon is the world’s second-largest producer of this valuable resource.
This policy, aimed at the country’s 2.3 million inhabitants and one of Africa’s wealthiest nations, seeks to promote “an ambitious industrial plan focused on processing raw materials locally, enhancing the skills of the national workforce, mastering technological value chains, and boosting tax revenues,” the statement added.
Oligui, who came to power following a coup that ousted the long-ruling Bongo family and was later confirmed in office by an election where he claimed nearly 95% of the vote, has given the manganese sector three years to prepare and invest accordingly.
The plan will also include the creation of a public-private investment fund dedicated to supporting the country’s industrial transformation.
Additionally, the council decided to ban the import of chicken meat from January 1, 2027.
Despite Gabon’s natural wealth, approximately one-third of its population lives in poverty, with one in ten facing food insecurity.
