Gabon targets food self-sufficiency with bold agricultural plan
Gabon’s President, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, has launched an ambitious agricultural independence drive, revealing a 25 billion FCFA investment plan to slash the country’s heavy reliance on food imports. Speaking in a candid interview, he framed the current situation—where Gabon imports 80% of its food—as an unacceptable failure for a nation blessed with vast, underutilized arable land spanning 270,000 km².
The president’s strategy hinges on two pillars: political resolve and massive funding to break decades of agricultural stagnation. The goal is clear—achieve full food self-sufficiency by 2030, a target that signals a radical pivot from past inaction.
2027 agricultural revolution: local meat, dairy and poultry
The government is rolling out immediate measures to jumpstart this transformation. A critical first step involves strengthening the national livestock sector by introducing 12,000 head of cattle to bolster local meat and dairy production. Yet the most dramatic change is coming in the poultry industry. From January 1, 2027, Gabon will ban all imports of broiler chicken, forcing a swift transition to domestic production. To ease this shift, authorities will roll out robust support programs for local poultry farmers while accelerating the expansion of staple crop cultivation across all nine provinces, ensuring every region contributes to the food sovereignty drive.
25 billion FCFA fund to empower farmers
Success depends not just on policy, but on empowering the workforce. To this end, President Oligui Nguema announced the creation of a 25 billion FCFA special fund within the Banque pour le commerce et l’entrepreneuriat du Gabon (BCEG), exclusively earmarked for farmers, poultry producers and fishermen. The fund will finance training in modern agricultural technologies and provide critical financial backing to unlock the sector’s potential.
The president’s message was unequivocal: “Gabon possesses everything it needs to feed itself. What was missing was political will and investment—and now we are putting both on the table.”
The overarching target? Cut Gabon’s food import dependency by 50% within five years, a bold challenge that, if met, would reshape the nation’s economy and secure long-term food sovereignty.
