Gabon: With imports at 477 billion FCFA in 2021, India represents the country's second largest customer, behind China

Received in audience on April 27, 2022 by the Prime Minister, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of India to Gabon, Ram Karan Verma, expressed his country's desire to increase its investments in Gabon.

Gabon hosts a strong Indian community with companies active in the mining and timber sectors, which contribute to the economic development of the country.

“The Indian companies that are already based in particular in the Nkok Economic Zone have already created a lot of jobs. We have, for example, the Indian company Oil India which has already established itself in Gabon and which is attracting many investors. There is great potential in the mining sector which would be an opportunity to strengthen economic exchanges between our two countries,” said Ram Karan Verma.

The Gabonese authorities also share this desire to strengthen this more than 30-year-old cooperation between the two countries. “Indian companies are increasingly investing in Gabon, in mining, timber and other sectors. They are very present in the Special Economic Zone of Nkok. This Indo-Gabonese cooperation, which is already very strong, my government wants to strengthen it further in the years to come,” said Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda.

India is now positioned as Gabon’s second largest export destination behind China. In 2021, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, India imported products from Gabon worth 477.7 billion FCFA. Up sharply by 263.1% compared to 2020.