AGP Executive Report

Gabon Energy & Infrastructure: Lloyd’s Register is overseeing the conversion of the LNG carrier LNG Bayelsa into the FSU LNG Cap Lopez for Perenco’s $2bn Cap Lopez floating LNG project in Gabon, with the unit set to sail in Q3 2027; the work includes major steel renewals, new piping, a boil-off gas module and life-extension assurance to support storage and export while cutting routine flaring. Mining & Industrial Policy: Libreville moves to end raw manganese exports and push deeper local processing, aiming to keep more value in-country through alloys and other processed outputs. Mining Logistics & Construction: Turkish firm Karmod installed modular container structures at a manganese mining site near Moanda, pitching climate-controlled, fast-deploy buildings for African operations. Regional Development: The UN Economic Commission for Africa urged SADC to industrialise by turning mineral and agricultural wealth into regional value chains. Telecom Connectivity (Africa-wide): Airtel Africa and Starlink launched a direct-to-phone satellite service in DR Congo, extending coverage without dishes for compatible smartphones. Business & Markets: Boskalis reported weaker H1 2026 results (revenue EUR 1.90bn; net profit EUR 275m) amid project delays and lower dredging fleet utilisation.

Mining & Infrastructure: Turkish firm Karmod has installed modular container buildings at a manganese mining site near Moanda, Gabon, touting climate-controlled, dust- and rainfall-ready units for faster site mobilization. Energy & Shipping: Lloyd’s Register is supporting the life extension conversion of an LNG carrier into a floating storage unit for Gabon’s emerging offshore gas push, with sail-away planned for Q3 2027. Industrial Policy: Gabon is moving to end raw manganese exports and shift toward local processing to capture more value, build jobs, and attract investment in downstream facilities. Connectivity & Telecoms: Airtel Africa and SpaceX’s Starlink launched Africa’s first commercial direct-to-phone satellite service in the DRC, enabling compatible smartphones to connect without a dish—an expansion model Airtel says could roll out across more markets. Regional Development: The UN Economic Commission for Africa urged SADC to accelerate industrialisation by processing minerals and agricultural output into regional value chains. Business & Markets Watch: US stocks fell as chip and tech shares retreated amid pressure from higher bond yields.

Gabon Industrial Policy: Libreville is moving to end raw manganese exports and push deeper local processing, aiming to keep more value in-country through alloys and other processed products. Regional Value Chains: The UN Economic Commission for Africa urged SADC leaders to industrialise by processing minerals and agricultural output, noting Southern Africa’s large critical-mineral reserves but limited jobs from mining. Telecom Connectivity: Airtel Africa and SpaceX’s Starlink launched Africa’s first commercial direct-to-phone satellite service in the DRC, letting compatible smartphones connect without a dish, initially for SMS and light data. Power Trade Projects: Cameroon’s Sonatrel opened twin tenders for 225-kV transmission lines and substations under the Cameroon–Chad power interconnector, targeting electricity exports to Chad. Digital Sovereignty: Namibia is facing growing pressure to build local digital infrastructure as countries like Nigeria push sovereign cloud plans to cut costs and reduce reliance on foreign-hosted systems. Business Leadership: Havas appointed Roxana Ravjee as CEO Africa, expanding day-to-day leadership across its network including Gabon and the DRC.

Gabon Industrial Policy: Libreville moves to end raw manganese exports and push local processing, aiming to capture more value, create industrial jobs, and attract investment in processing facilities. Regional Value Chains: The UN Economic Commission for Africa urged SADC leaders to industrialise by processing agricultural and mineral resources and building regional value chains, noting minerals’ limited employment impact despite rich deposits. Telecom Connectivity: Airtel Africa and SpaceX’s Starlink launched Africa’s first commercial direct-to-phone satellite service in the DRC, letting compatible smartphones connect without a dish, initially for SMS and light data. CEMAC Markets: Access Bank Cameroon launched Access Invest, a fully digital platform to buy and sell CEMAC government securities, targeting retail and SMEs with real-time visibility and improved liquidity. Energy Infrastructure (Cameroon): Sonatrel opened twin tenders for the Cameroon–Chad power interconnector, covering 225-kV lines and substations to support electricity exports. Digital Sovereignty (Africa): Nigeria’s push for local cloud capacity under a sovereign cloud plan highlights growing pressure on African states to reduce reliance on foreign-hosted tech infrastructure. Business Leadership: Havas appointed Roxana Ravjee as CEO Africa, expanding day-to-day leadership across its African network including Gabon.

Gabon’s Mineral Policy Shift: Libreville is moving to stop exporting raw manganese and push more local processing, aiming to keep more value in-country through alloys and other processed products. Regional Finance Digitisation: Access Bank Cameroon has launched Access Invest, a fully digital platform for buying and selling CEMAC government securities, widening access to Treasury Bills, Bonds and Obligations for retail and SMEs. Telecom Connectivity Leap: Airtel Africa and Starlink launched Africa’s first satellite-to-phone service in the DRC, letting compatible phones connect directly to satellites without a dish, initially for SMS and light data. Energy Results Watch: ReconAfrica reported second-quarter 2026 results, including hydrocarbon flows to surface from Kavango West 1X and plans to advance to open-hole horizontal testing. Governance and Risk Debate: A new analysis argues coups across Africa since 2020 have failed to curb corruption and may worsen it by suspending institutions that would catch wrongdoing. Leadership in Advertising: Havas appoints Roxana Ravjee as CEO Africa, expanding day-to-day leadership across its network including Gabon. Visa Cost Shock for Africans: The US made its visa bond program permanent for 50 countries, with critics warning it could sharply cut travel and hit tourism and business travel.

Gabon Resource Policy: Libreville moves to end raw manganese exports and push more local processing, aiming to keep more value in-country and create industrial jobs. Telecom Connectivity: Airtel Africa and Starlink launched Africa’s first satellite-to-phone service in the DRC, letting compatible phones connect directly to satellites where coverage is weak, initially via SMS and light data. Finance & Markets (CEMAC): Access Bank Cameroon rolled out Access Invest, a fully digital platform for buying and selling CEMAC government securities, targeting broader investor access and better liquidity. Regional Payments: A push to integrate BEAC into PAPSS is framed as a way to cut costs, speed up transfers, and reduce reliance on the US dollar for intra-African trade. Energy & Investment: ReconAfrica reported preliminary production testing success at Kavango West 1X and plans open-hole horizontal testing to advance potential output. Governance & Risk: A report highlights investor concerns around Cameroon’s leadership uncertainty and weak bond performance tied to the president’s long absence.

Telecom Leap: Airtel Africa and Elon Musk’s Starlink launched Africa’s first satellite-to-phone service in the DRC, letting eligible customers connect directly to satellites on compatible smartphones (initially SMS and light data, no dish needed). Resource Policy: Gabon moves to end raw manganese exports and push more local processing to capture more value and create industrial jobs. Capital Markets Digitisation: Access Bank Cameroon launched Access Invest, a fully digital platform for buying and selling CEMAC government securities, aiming to widen access beyond big institutions. Regional Payments Push: Africa is advancing a more independent payment system by integrating BEAC into PAPSS, enabling faster cross-border settlements in national currencies and cutting reliance on dollar/euro routes. Health & Rural Development Funding: Cameroon’s government signed new World Bank and Islamic Development Bank deals covering health emergency readiness and rural development, plus defence ministry reorganisation decrees. Energy Watch: OPEC reported a July rebound in crude output (+1.7m bpd), with Gabon’s production down. Business Tech: BetterSea rolled out “Stylianos,” an AI agent to help shipping firms handle emissions compliance analytics and transaction sourcing. Gabon EU Trade: Gabon ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the EU, citing poor economic returns and sovereignty goals.

Gabon Resource Policy: Libreville moves to end raw manganese exports and push more local processing, aiming to keep more value in-country and create industrial jobs. EU Fisheries Exit: Gabon has ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the EU, saying the deal no longer matches Gabon’s economic interests after years of EU vessel access and payments. Carbon & Trade Tech: BetterSea launched “Stylianos,” an AI agent inside its maritime compliance platform to help shipping firms handle emissions rules including FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, UK ETS, and the Djibouti and Gabon carbon taxes. CEMAC Markets Digitised: Access Bank Cameroon rolled out Access Invest, a fully digital platform for buying and selling CEMAC government securities, targeting retail and SMEs as well as institutions. Oil Market Watch: OPEC reported a rebound in July crude output (+1.7m bpd), with Gabon’s production down to about 207,000 bpd. Gabon Mining Update: Millennial Potash reported strong high-grade potash drill results at Banio, including 220m of potash-bearing rock with thick carnallitite seams. Regional Finance & Payments: A push to integrate BEAC into PAPSS highlights efforts to settle African trade in national currencies and cut reliance on US dollar transfers.

Gabon Resource Policy: Gabon moves to end raw manganese exports, pushing for local processing to keep more value, create industrial jobs and attract investment in processing facilities. Digital & Finance in CEMAC: Access Bank Cameroon launches Access Invest, a fully digital platform to buy and sell CEMAC government securities (BTA, OTA and bonds), aiming to broaden access and improve liquidity and transparency. Regional Trade & Payments: Africa’s push to reduce dollar dependence gains momentum as BEAC integration into PAPSS would enable faster, direct settlements in national currencies, cutting costs and speeding cross-border transfers. Maritime Compliance Tech: BetterSea rolls out Stylianos, an AI agent inside its compliance platform to help shipping firms handle emissions rules and carbon taxes (including Djibouti and Gabon) with human approval before any action. Connectivity for Remote Areas: Airtel and Starlink commercialize Africa’s first satellite-to-phone service in the DRC, letting compatible phones connect directly to satellites for SMS and limited data without a dish. Health & Development Funding: Cameroon, CAR, Gabon and Congo receive new financing for a West and Central Africa health security programme, alongside rural development support via the IsDB. Business & Markets Watch: OPEC output rebounded in July (+1.7m bpd), with Gabon’s production down slightly, while Nigeria’s output stayed above 1.5m bpd.

Gabon-EU Trade: Gabon has ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the European Union, saying the deal no longer serves its economic interests; the government formally ended the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement on June 29, 2026, after seeking renegotiation. CEMAC Markets: Access Bank Cameroon launched “Access Invest,” a fully digital platform to buy and sell CEMAC government securities, aiming to broaden access for individuals and SMEs to Treasury Bills (BTA) and Bonds/Obligations (OTA). Gabon Energy & Resources: Record Resources CEO Michael Judson says its Ngulu oil project in Gabon benefits from experienced leadership and fast execution; meanwhile, Millennial Potash reported strong Banio potash drilling results, including 220m of potash-bearing rock with high-grade carnallitite seams. Regional Oil Watch: OPEC reported July output rebounded by about 1.7m bpd, but Gabon’s production fell to 207,000 bpd. Payments & Trade Infrastructure: Africa is pushing to reduce dollar dependence by integrating BEAC into PAPSS, enabling faster direct settlements in national currencies. Digital Sovereignty: Nigeria’s push for a National Sovereign Cloud highlights growing pressure on African states to host more data and services locally.

Gabon-EU Trade: Gabon has ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the European Union, saying the deal no longer serves its economic interests and ends access for EU industrial tuna fleets. Digital Finance in CEMAC: Access Bank Cameroon launched “Access Invest,” a fully digital platform to buy and sell CEMAC government securities, aiming to widen access to Treasury Bills, Bonds and Obligations and boost liquidity. Maritime Carbon Compliance: BetterSea rolled out “Stylianos,” an AI agent inside its compliance platform to help shipping firms handle FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, UK ETS and carbon taxes for Djibouti and Gabon. Regional Payments Push: Economists highlight progress toward reducing dollar dependence as BEAC is set to integrate into PAPSS, enabling faster, direct settlements in national currencies. Oil Market Watch: OPEC reported a July rebound in crude output (+1.7m bpd), with Nigeria holding above 1.5m bpd for a third month despite a dip. Gabon Resources: Millennial Potash reported strong high-grade potash drill results at its Banio project, including 220m of potash-bearing rock with thick carnallitite seams. Health Security Funding: New financing accords back West and Central Africa health emergency readiness, covering Cameroon, CAR, Gabon and Congo.

Digital Sovereignty: Pressure is building across Africa to host more data and cloud services locally. Nigeria is pushing a “National Sovereign Cloud” to cut costs, reduce foreign-currency outflows and create jobs, while Namibia is already laying policy groundwork for its own digital infrastructure and a national data centre. Maritime Compliance Tech: BetterSea launched Stylianos, an AI agent inside its compliance platform to handle emissions rules for FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, UK ETS and the Djibouti and Gabon carbon taxes—preparing actions and sourcing quotes with user approval. Regional Payments Shift: Economists highlight the move to integrate BEAC into PAPSS, enabling faster, direct settlements between African states in national currencies and reducing reliance on US dollar/euro conversion. Gabon Fisheries Policy: Gabon ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the EU, saying the deal no longer served Gabon’s economic interests. Gabon Energy & Mining: Record Resources CEO discusses progress on Gabon’s Ngulu oil project, while Millennial Potash reports strong Banio potash drill results, including 220m of potash-bearing rock with high-grade seams. CEMAC Markets Digitised: Access Bank Cameroon launched Access Invest, a digital platform for buying and selling CEMAC government securities, aiming to broaden access and improve liquidity.

Regional Payments: BEAC’s integration into PAPSS is set to cut costs and speed up intra-African transfers by settling in national currencies, reducing reliance on US dollar and Western correspondent banking. Oil Watch: OPEC output rebounded in July, rising by about 1.7m bpd; Gabon’s production slipped to 207,000 bpd while Nigeria stayed above 1.5m bpd. Gabon Finance & Markets: Access Bank Cameroon launched Access Invest, a fully digital platform to buy and sell CEMAC government securities, aiming to broaden access and improve liquidity. Gabon EU Fisheries: Gabon ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the EU, arguing the deal no longer delivers value for Gabon’s tuna resources. Mining & Energy (Gabon): Millennial Potash reported strong Banio potash drill results, including 220m of potash-bearing rock, boosting confidence in the project’s scale. Public Health (DRC): Ebola cases in DRC are surging, with WHO warning it’s the fastest-growing outbreak on record and threatening jobs and local economies.

Regional Payments & Trade: BEAC is set to plug into PAPSS, letting Central African states settle cross-border deals in national currencies and cutting reliance on US dollar and Western correspondent banking—promising lower fees (up to $5bn a year) and faster transfers. Gabon EU Fisheries Exit: Gabon has ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the EU, saying the deal no longer delivers fair returns for tuna access. Gabon Capital Markets Push: Access Bank Cameroon launched “Access Invest,” a digital platform to buy and sell CEMAC government securities, aiming to widen access beyond big institutions. Gabon Offshore Oil Momentum: As Gabon ramps up offshore licensing and moves MoUs with ExxonMobil and bp toward production sharing, the country is positioning for renewed deepwater investment ahead of African Energy Week. Gabon Energy & Dividends: VAALCO reported Q2 2026 results and reiterated growth guidance, with Gabon liftings noted and a third-quarter dividend declared. AfCFTA Awareness Gap (Gabon in focus): An Afrobarometer report finds only 26% of Gabonese respondents have heard of AfCFTA, even as support for freer trade rises across Africa.

Gabon-EU Fisheries Exit: Gabon has ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the European Union, saying the deal no longer delivers value for Gabon’s economy and sovereignty over tuna resources. Gabon Offshore Push: As Gabon ramps up deepwater investment, AEW 2026 will host a country panel on the “revival and expansion” of offshore oil production, with new licensing and faster conversion of MoUs into production sharing contracts. Gabon Capital Markets Digitisation: Access Bank Cameroon launched “Access Invest,” a fully digital platform to buy and sell CEMAC government securities, opening Treasury Bills, Bonds and Obligations to retail and SMEs. Gabon Mining Momentum: Millennial Potash reported strong Banio Potash drill results, including 220m of potash-bearing rock with high-grade carnallitite seams, supporting resource upgrades. Nigeria Fiscal Transparency: Economists backed a US finding that Nigeria failed minimum fiscal transparency requirements, warning weak budget execution and disclosure could dent investor confidence. Nigeria Oil Output: OPEC data shows Nigeria kept crude production above 1.5mbpd for a third month in July, despite a June-to-July dip. Regional Trade & Mobility: Afrobarometer finds AfCFTA awareness is still low (13%) even as support for easier trade rises; meanwhile Air Peace says it is connecting West and Central African cities to help drive intra-regional commerce. US Visa Bond Update: The US increased the maximum refundable visa bond to $20,000 for citizens of 30 African countries, including Gabon, to curb overstays.

Gabon-EU Trade: Gabon has ended its 19-year fisheries partnership with the European Union, cancelling the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement that let EU industrial vessels fish for tuna in Gabonese waters, saying the deal no longer matched Gabon’s economic interests. Gabon Offshore Energy: As Gabon pushes deeper offshore investment, Vaalco Energy reported bringing its ETBNM-3 gas-supply well onstream in the Etame Field, aimed at powering operations and cutting fuel costs, while also drilling a pilot for further development. Gabon Capital Markets: Access Bank Cameroon launched “Access Invest,” a fully digital platform to buy and sell CEMAC government securities, including instruments issued by Gabon and other member states—opening the secondary market to retail and SMEs. Gabon Mining: Millennial Potash delivered strong Banio Potash Project results, including 220m of potash-bearing rock with thick carnallitite seams, reinforcing the project’s scale and grade. Regional Finance & Energy: Nigeria kept crude output above 1.5mbpd for a third month in July (1.505mbpd), while Borr Drilling secured new rig work across Asia, Europe and Africa. Policy & Business Climate: Afrobarometer found only 13% of Africans have heard of AfCFTA, even as support for easier free trade rises to 62%.