Why Gabon's Port Ambitions Are

Drawing Fresh Interest from Monaco

Gabon is sending a clear signal that it wants to be more than just an oil exporter, and a long-standing investor from Monaco could play a bigger part in that push. Earlier this month, President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema welcomed Adnan Houdrouge, the CEO of Mercure International of Monaco, for talks in Libreville that felt more like a handshake between old friends with fresh ideas than a routine business meeting.

Mercure International isn’t a newcomer to Gabon — the group has been operating there since 1994 after buying the Mbolo shopping centre, and has become a familiar name in big-box retail, logistics and food distribution. But what’s new is the firm’s appetite to go beyond shops and into infrastructure that could help transform the country’s economy. At the heart of the discussions was a plan to extend the Mbolo centre to meet changing urban demand and attract more international brands.

Even more eye-catching is Mercure’s interest in building economic and port infrastructure in Port-Gentil, Gabon’s commercial hub by the sea. That matters because improving ports and logistics is a linchpin for Gabon’s broader economic diversification strategy — it can make trade smoother, open doors for new business and create jobs.

Officials haven’t released timelines or investment figures yet, but the tone of the meetings — echoed in presidential communications and local coverage — was upbeat. For Gabon’s leadership, a stronger partnership with private investors like Mercure International is about more than capital. It’s about modernising key sectors, spreading opportunities beyond Libreville demonstrating that Gabon is open for business in 2026 and beyond.

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