Libreville, Saturday 27 June 2026 – Shortly after presenting his credentials to President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Chad’s new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Gabon, Zakaria Fadoul Kittir Jr., chose to visit one of the most visible symbols of Gabon’s economic transformation.
The diplomat toured the Nkok Special Investment Zone on Thursday, an industrial hub that has become a continental benchmark for local resource processing.
This trip, carried out at the very start of his diplomatic mission, goes far beyond protocol. It reflects the growing interest the Gabonese model generates among several African states facing the same challenges of economic diversification, industrial transformation, and value addition from their raw materials.
Wood as industrial showcase
At the heart of the visit was the timber sector, a flagship of Gabon’s economic strategy. The Chadian diplomat inspected Chanta Group’s facilities, a company specialised in plywood and veneer sheets whose production supplies both African and international markets.
This immersion allowed the Chadian delegation to witness firsthand the results of a policy pursued by Gabonese authorities for several years. A former exporter of raw logs, Gabon gradually imposed a logic of local processing to retain a greater share of the wealth generated by its forest resources.
The outcome is now visible in Nkok. Dozens of industrial units process wood on site, create skilled jobs, foster skills transfer, and develop an industrial fabric able to meet international standards. For many African observers, this development is one of the most successful experiences on the continent in resource-based industrialisation.
A showcase for economic diversification
The Nkok Special Investment Zone, however, is not limited to the forestry sector. As an integrated industrial platform, it hosts companies operating in fields as varied as metallurgy, construction materials, agro-industry, and manufacturing processing.
This concentration of activities makes the zone a strategic lever for Gabon’s economic diversification policy. In a global context marked by raw material market uncertainties, developing local industries now appears essential to reduce dependence on unprocessed exports.
The interest shown by the Chadian representative also illustrates a broader trend. More and more African countries are looking to learn from experiences that allow them to process their resources locally, develop national value chains, and strengthen economic sovereignty.
An instrument of influence for Gabon
Beyond its industrial performance, Nkok is gradually becoming a tool for economic and diplomatic outreach for Gabon. Each official visit helps reinforce its status as a showcase of national know-how and a magnet for international investors.
For Libreville, this recognition is especially important. It validates the authorities’ strategy to make the country a regional industrial hub capable of attracting capital, technology, and strategic partnerships.
The visit of Chad’s new ambassador comes at a time when African economic cooperation is gaining momentum. Exchanges between states no longer focus solely on raw materials, but increasingly on industrial models, transformation experiences, and value-creation strategies.
By drawing the attention of diplomats, investors and decision-makers across the continent, the Nkok Special Investment Zone confirms it is no longer just a Gabonese project. It is gradually becoming an African reference in the thinking on industrialisation, local processing, and the construction of new development pathways.
