Latest news with #BriceOliguiNguema
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Trump says he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, but not everyone agrees
In a world barely able to keep up with the headlines that US President Donald Trump generates with policies that routinely challenge convention, he is revving up on another front that will guarantee global chatter: a bid for a Nobel Peace Prize. Last week, Trump expressed gratitude after a USA Today columnist argued that he was 'the last person the Norwegian Nobel Committee would honour with its Peace Prize. Yet, it should.' 'Thank you USA TODAY. So nice!' he wrote on his Truth Social account. Last month he complained that he wouldn't get the prize 'no matter what I do'. The message appears to be resonating with some world leaders and lawmakers, as nominations for the 'America first' president roll in, aided by the fact that anyone can submit a nomination through a letter to the Nobel Committee in Oslo, Norway. This month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed his bid after the government of Pakistan and at least two Republican lawmakers did so in recent weeks. During a meeting with Trump on July 9, Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema said that he believed he 'does deserve a Nobel Peace Prize'. US President Donald Trump holds a copy of a letter from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (foreground) to the Nobel Committee nominating Trump for the Peace Prize, at the White House on July 7. Photo: dpa Trump has sought the prize since his first term as president, which ran from 2017 to 2021.
TimesLIVE
10-07-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Gabon's president says his country open to investment, needs help processing minerals
Gabon is open to investment and wants to see its raw mineral resources processed locally, but needs large investments in energy to do so, the West African country's President Brice Oligui Nguema told US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. 'We are not poor countries. We are rich countries when it comes to raw materials. But we need partners to support us and help us develop those resources with win-win partnerships,' Nguema said at a mini-summit at the White House. He warned other countries could seize the initiative if the US did not. 'Our country is free, open to one and all. You are welcome to come and invest. Otherwise other countries might come instead of you,' he said.
Bloomberg
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Gabon Leader Unveils Political Party, State Broadcaster Reports
Gabon's leader Brice Oligui Nguema officially unveiled a new political party as the oil-producing OPEC member prepares for parliamentary and local government elections, Gabon 24 reported. The Democratic Builders Union will work together to build a sustainable country capable of offering physical and psychological security to all, the state broadcaster said, citing Nguema, during a congress on Saturday in the capital, Libreville. 'The UDB must be the rallying point for all those who firmly believe in the possibility of a Gabon resolutely focused on the future and in the development of active citizens who are seeking progress,' Nguema said.
Business Insider
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Gabon secures $3.8 billion Afreximbank pact for Gold, Manganese and energy projects
Gabon has signed a $3.8 billion memorandum of understanding with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to fund major national development projects across mining, energy, and transport sectors. Gabon signed a $3.8 billion MoU with Afreximbank to fund development projects. The agreement aims to enhance mining, energy, and transport sectors in Gabon. Most gold production in Gabon is currently unregulated, requiring better oversight. Gabon has signed a $3.8 billion memorandum of understanding with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to fund major national development projects across mining, energy, and transport sectors. The agreement, formalized during Afreximbank's annual general meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, aims to support the development of gold and manganese trading, enhance energy infrastructure, and expand the country's railway network. Gabon's gold sector remains heavily informal, with approximately 70% of production coming from unregulated sources. Inadequate infrastructure, particularly poor road networks, continues to hinder the sector's growth. Afreximbank's support for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Africa Quality Assurance Centers (AQACs) is expected to bring greater oversight and formalization, though success will depend on stronger enforcement of mining regulations. As the world's second-largest producer of manganese, a vital mineral for steel production, and one of the smallest members of OPEC+, producing around 220,000 barrels of crude oil per day, Gabon is positioning itself to strengthen industrial and export capacity. According to recent data, Gabon's economy expanded by 2.9% in 2024, largely driven by oil production and increased public investment. Minister of State for Economy, Finance and Debt, Henri-Claude Oyima, signed the agreement on behalf of the Gabonese government. However, President Brice Oligui Nguema, has pledged to reduce Gabon's overdependence on oil by prioritizing sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing, part of a broader strategy to combat poverty and diversify the economy.
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema and African Development Bank's (AfDB) Akinwumi Adesina Inaugurate Water Pumping Station for Greater Libreville
'Ten years without clean water: erased! Ten years without hope: forgotten! Ten years of suffering: over!'—Adesina to residents of Libreville's outlying neighborhoods. Adesina Receives Gabon's Highest Civilian Honor Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema and African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina ( on Monday jointly inaugurated a new drinking water pumping station, marking the end of a decade-long water crisis in PK5, a densely populated district of Libreville. The new PK5 pumping station, with a daily capacity of 57,600 cubic meters, is designed to deliver clean water to 128,000 residents across seven northern districts of the capital. 'These past few weeks, we've finally felt like citizens of real capital. Water is flowing from our taps at last,' said Sandrine Onanga, a 33-year-old mother living in PK5. 'It has been eight years since we last saw a drop of water. We had even forgotten what a tap looked like,' added Astrid Momboukou, who joined the crowd to witness the inauguration of the facility. For years, taps had run dry in parts of Libreville. 'That's all behind us now. No more lugging water jugs for kilometers. No more waiting late into the night for police tankers to deliver water every two or three days,' said Sandrine, smiling under the light rain that fell over Libreville that Monday. The new station was inaugurated in the presence of senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, development partners, and an enthusiastic local population. It forms part of the Integrated Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Program for Libreville (PAIEPAL). The program, with a total investment of €117.4 million, is financed through a €75.4 million loan from the African Development Bank and a €42 million loan from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), backed by the People's Bank of China and administered by the Bank. The program aims to improve access to potable water and sanitation services in Libreville, strengthen sector governance, and build capacity for long-term transformation. The initiative ensures that more than 300,000 people—approximately 31% of Libreville's 967,095 residents—now have sustainable and permanent access to clean water. The beneficiary communes include Libreville, Akanda, Owendo, and Ntoum. Adesina emphasized the life-changing impact of the new pumping station: 'Ten years without drinking water: erased! Ten years without hope: forgotten! Ten years of suffering: ended!' The Bank, a reliable and strategic partner for Gabon Adesina also highlighted the Bank's unwavering development support for Gabon during his ten-year tenure. 'From 1974 to 2014, the Bank approved $1 billion in financing for Gabon. Since my election in 2015, we have committed an additional $1.5 billion—1.5 times the previous 40-year total,' he said. According to Philippe Tonangoye, Gabon's Minister for Universal Access to Water and Energy, the project has significantly improved water infrastructure. It involved renewing 150 kilometers of pipelines, upgrading and extending another 150 kilometers of distribution networks, building and rehabilitating multiple water towers, and installing around 60 public standpipes across Libreville and surrounding areas. 'The African Development Bank spared no effort to make this program a reality,' said Minister Tonangoye. 'Some of these installations had not seen a single drop of water in ten years. My gratitude goes to the Bank for its commitment to Gabon.' President Adesina receives top Gabonese honor Ahead of the inauguration, Gabonese President Oligui Nguema conferred on Adesina the insignia of Grand Officer of the Order of the Gabonese Merit, one of Gabon's highest civilian honors, in a ceremony witnessed by his wife, Grace Adesina. Recognized for his visionary leadership, Akinwumi Adesina—dubbed 'Africa's Chief Optimist'—will complete his second and final ten-year term as President of the African Development Bank Group on 31 August. Since 2015, he has led transformative projects across Africa under the Bank's five strategic priorities, the 'High 5s' ( Through these priorities, 565 million people have seen their lives transformed. In the water sector alone, 63 million people gained access to clean water and 34 million to sanitation services. Flagship projects in Gabon For decades, the Bank has supported Gabon's socioeconomic development by helping diversify strategic sectors. It is now Gabon's leading infrastructure partner. Among flagship projects, the Bank financed the New Owendo International Port. With a capacity of four million tonnes per year, this multi-purpose port (minerals, timber, containers) has reduced handling costs by 30% and become a critical link in Gabon's logistics chain. In this context, the Gabonese President took Dr. Adesina on a tour of the La Baie des Rois Special Investment Zone, located 18 km from the port. The maritime façade of the Gabonese capital aims to be modern to attract international real estate investors to revitalize the country's economy and create wealth for the population. The Bank is also helping Gabon develop the Kinguélé Aval hydroelectric power station—the country's first energy PPP—which will add 40 megawatts of reliable, affordable, and clean energy. It is also financing the Ndende-Doussala road, a key segment of the Libreville-Brazzaville corridor that will connect Gabon and Congo and boost regional integration. With an active portfolio of $61.26 million, the African Development Bank Group's strategy in Gabon focuses on two priority areas: supporting the development of sustainable infrastructure to drive industrialization, and strengthening economic governance and the business climate to promote social inclusion. Following the inauguration, President Oligui Nguema and Akinwumi Adesina visited two families in separate districts that were once severely impacted by water shortages. They also toured the National School for Hearing-Impaired Children, which serves hundreds of students. Since gaining access to clean drinking water, the school has seen a significant improvement in hygiene conditions. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Dr. Adesina's speech (French) ( Pictures ( Contact: Romaric Ollo Hien Communication and External Relations Department media@ About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information:
