Libreville, Thursday, July 16, 2026 — For decades, Africa’s mineral wealth has flowed outward, enriching industries beyond its borders while leaving host communities with crumbling infrastructure, weak public services, and a persistent sense of economic exclusion. Today, Gabon is rewriting this narrative by converting a portion of its mining revenue into tangible local development.

Under an agreement between the Gabonese state and Comilog, the world’s leading producer of high-grade manganese and a subsidiary of the French group Eramet, 20% of the proportional mining royalty is now allocated to the Local Communities Development Fund. An additional contribution from the extraction tax on quarries operated by the company further boosts this fund, which targets mining regions directly.

This shift reflects a fundamental change in Gabon’s mining policy. The focus is no longer solely on tax revenue or export volumes but on transforming natural resources into tools for territorial cohesion and human development.

Breaking free from the resource curse

The paradox of mineral-rich regions remaining among the poorest on the continent has long perplexed African economies. Gabon, the world’s second-largest manganese producer, has not been spared this dilemma. Mining areas have borne the brunt of environmental and social costs without consistently benefiting from visible returns on the wealth extracted beneath them.

The mining code reform launched in 2019 and reinforced by a 2020 addendum with Comilog marks a significant turning point. For the first time, a portion of mining revenue is automatically directed to affected communities, bypassing national budget negotiations. This structure aligns Gabon with models seen in countries like Botswana and Canada, where social acceptance of mining hinges on fairer profit-sharing.

Shared governance in action

The system is built on a tripartite governance model involving the state, local authorities, and the mining operator. The Partnership Management Committee sets strategic priorities, while the Operational Management Committee oversees technical execution and project implementation. This structure ensures investments are not dictated solely by distant administrative capitals but reflect on-the-ground realities.

Funds are channeled into public infrastructure, collective facilities, healthcare, education, water access, local economic activities, and job creation. Early results are already visible. According to Comilog’s figures, 26 community projects were completed by 2025, totaling nearly 8.5 billion CFA francs in investments and benefiting around 240,000 people in mining basins. In a country of fewer than three million inhabitants, these numbers underscore the potential impact of the initiative.

A new African mining contract

The stakes extend far beyond Gabon’s borders. Global demand for strategic minerals is surging, driven by the energy transition, electrification of transport, and digital revolution. Manganese has become indispensable for battery production and future industrial technologies. Central Africa holds a significant share of the reserves needed for this new global economy.

The critical question is no longer how much mineral wealth Africa will export but how much of that wealth will remain to fund education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic diversification. Comilog has pledged to support this transition by fostering local entrepreneurship, vocational training, and income-generating activities to gradually reduce communities’ dependence on extractive industries alone.

If this vision holds, Gabon could emerge as an African laboratory for a new contract between mining, the state, and populations. In the 21st century, the true value of a mine is no longer measured solely by tons exported or dividends paid. It is measured in schools built, businesses launched, sustainable jobs created, and opportunities offered to future generations. This is the arena where Africa’s mining giants will now be judged.