Ebomaf domina Gabon’s public contracts with over 700 billion fcfa in projects

Since the political transition began in August 2023, the Burkinabè construction giant EBOMAF has rapidly ascended to the top of Gabon’s public procurement rankings. In less than three years, the company founded by businessman Mahamadou Bonkoungou has secured contracts worth over 700 billion Central African CFA francs, a volume rarely matched by a single foreign operator in the country. Its portfolio now includes critical infrastructure projects such as major road networks, the Andem Airport expansion, and the new administrative capital in Libreville, all of which fall under the transitional government led by President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.

Dominance in Gabon’s public construction sector

The sheer scale and speed of EBOMAF’s contract acquisitions raise questions about procurement processes. Nearly every major infrastructure announcement from the presidency has been awarded to the same contractor, often without transparent public bidding procedures. The projects span hundreds of kilometers of roadworks, alongside airport upgrades and a large-scale urban development designed to ease congestion in Libreville.

This concentration of contracts in a single operator’s hands introduces a critical concern: the risk of over-dependency. When one company handles the design, execution, and sometimes pre-financing of multiple projects, the state’s financial flexibility diminishes. Gabon, already facing declining oil revenues and heightened external debt scrutiny by international financial institutions, must carefully assess these long-term obligations.

Budget transparency under scrutiny

While EBOMAF claims its contracts total over 700 billion FCFA, Gabonese authorities—including the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Public Accounts, and the Audit Court—have not yet released a consolidated financial report detailing these commitments. The lack of a unified financial dashboard obscures the true flow of funds, making it difficult to distinguish between direct state payments, bank pre-financing, and potential compensation mechanisms.

This opacity fuels concerns about how financial circuits operate. Which institutions validate payment schedules? Which banks manage the transactions? What sovereign guarantees secure the pre-financing arrangements? In line with transparency standards set by the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank, regular public reporting on these obligations would be expected. Yet, while inauguration ceremonies are widely publicized, institutional silence persists on financial tracking.

Assessing the pre-financing model

EBOMAF’s regional success stems from an integrated model combining technical execution with bank-backed pre-financing, often secured through West African financial institutions. For cash-strapped governments, this approach allows rapid project launches without immediate fiscal strain. However, the burden shifts to future budgets, where repayment costs—dictated by negotiated financial terms—become due.

The model has enabled EBOMAF to establish a strong presence in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Senegal, though it has also sparked recurring debates about interest rates, potential cost overruns, and construction quality. Implementing this model at scale in Gabon, particularly amid a transitional political context, demands a rigorous review of financial clauses and oversight mechanisms.

For Gabon’s financial partners, the stakes extend beyond operational performance. The credibility of the transitional government’s fiscal trajectory and the long-term sustainability of its debt service—especially post-election—are at play. Publishing a consolidated report on EBOMAF-related commitments would send a strong transparency signal, particularly as multilateral lenders reassess their exposure to Gabon’s sovereign risk.

Beyond finances, EBOMAF’s dominance in major projects also raises questions about the local construction ecosystem. Gabonese firms, often relegated to subcontracting roles, struggle to scale up due to limited access to high-value contracts. The issue of who oversees EBOMAF’s financial records in Gabon remains unresolved.