Gabon launches 700 billion FCFA plan to transform poultry industry

From 1 January 2027, Libreville will ban imports of frozen chicken as part of a sweeping national strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in poultry meat. The government has unveiled a 700-billion-FCFA programme to boost local production to 125,000 tonnes of broiler meat per year by 2028, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Several hurdles remain before that deadline.

An ecosystem to build

On 2 June 2026, Agriculture Minister Pacôme Kossi presented the ambitious plan to parliament, aiming to end the annual import of 65,000 tonnes of frozen chicken. Gabon consumes roughly 65,000 tonnes of poultry each year. Economist Louis Ndong says the goal is clear: “Achieve food sovereignty to ease the household budget.”

Hervais Omva, president of the Zambia-based NGO IDRC AFRICA and an expert in poultry value chains, argues that success hinges on building the entire production chain. “The president set the direction. Now industry players must construct the upstream and downstream ecosystem,” he explains. He stresses that local production of maize and soybean is critical, as these two crops account for about 75% of poultry feed. “One of the biggest challenges will be producing millions of tonnes of these grains locally,” he notes. Job creation is another major issue. “Some automated slaughterhouses can process up to 60,000 chickens per day with only about twenty employees. If the aim is also to reduce youth unemployment, we need a model suited to local realities,” he adds.

Gabon targets African investors

Libreville plans to attract investors from across the continent to drive this transformation. Following an appeal by President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema at the mid-May 2026 Kigali summit, several African operators were received at the presidential palace on 9 June. The government says the technical framework is in place and an investment bank is already operational. A senior official at the Ministry of Agriculture stated that “the various mechanisms will be deployed gradually.” G.M., a poultry farmer in Port-Gentil who has run a 10,000-bird operation for about ten years, sees this policy as a major opportunity. “The potential is real, but shifting to industrial production requires huge investments,” he confides.

A sector to structure

The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine highlighted the vulnerability of import-dependent countries to global market shocks. Gabon now aims to strengthen domestic production to reduce that exposure. According to official statistics, 54.6% of Gabon’s population is under 26, and youth unemployment is estimated between 30% and 38%. Developing the poultry sector thus carries agricultural, economic and social significance. Hervais Omva has a message for young Africans: “The president has shown the way. Investors are ready.”