Libreville, July 16, 2026 – For decades, Africa has extracted its minerals to fuel global industries while leaving mining communities with crumbling infrastructure, weak public services, and a deep sense of economic exclusion. Gabon is now breaking this pattern by channeling a portion of its mining revenue directly into local development.

Under a revised agreement with Comilog, the world’s leading high-grade manganese producer and a subsidiary of the French group Eramet, 20% of the proportional mining royalty is now allocated to the Local Communities Development Fund. An additional sum from the extraction tax on the company’s quarries further boosts this pool of resources for the producing regions.

This transformation reflects a fundamental shift in Gabon’s mining doctrine. The focus is no longer solely on tax revenues or export volumes but on leveraging natural resources as tools for territorial cohesion and human development.

Breaking free from the resource curse

The paradox has long plagued African economies: how can regions rich in minerals remain among the continent’s poorest? Gabon, the world’s second-largest manganese producer, is no exception. Mining areas have borne the brunt of environmental and social costs without always seeing tangible returns from the wealth beneath their soil.

The mining code reform launched in 2019 and reinforced by a 2020 addendum with Comilog marks a decisive turning point. For the first time, a portion of mining revenue is automatically directed to affected communities, bypassing national budgetary decisions. This model aligns Gabon with systems seen in countries like Botswana or Canada, where social acceptance of mining hinges on fairer profit-sharing.

A collaborative governance structure

The mechanism operates through shared governance involving the State, local authorities, and the mining operator. The Partnership Management Committee sets strategic priorities, while the Operational Management Committee ensures technical oversight and project execution. This structure prevents investments from being dictated from distant capitals without consideration for local realities.

Projects span public infrastructure, healthcare centers, schools, water access, local economic initiatives, and job creation. Early results are already visible. According to Comilog’s reports, 26 community projects were completed by 2025 under this funding mechanism, channeling nearly 8.5 billion CFA francs into initiatives benefiting around 240,000 people in mining basins—a significant impact in a country of less than three million inhabitants.

Pioneering a new African mining compact

The stakes extend far beyond Gabon’s borders. Global demand for strategic minerals is surging, driven by the energy transition, electric mobility, and digital innovation. Manganese is now critical for battery production and tomorrow’s industrial technologies. Central Africa holds vast reserves of these essential resources.

The real question is no longer how much mineral wealth Africa will export, but what share of these riches will remain to fund education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic diversification.

Comilog has pledged to support this transition by fostering local entrepreneurship, vocational training, and income-generating activities to reduce communities’ dependence on extractive industries. If this vision is sustained, Gabon could emerge as a model for a new social contract between mining, the State, and its people.

In the 21st century, a mine’s true value is measured not only by tons exported or dividends paid, but by the schools built, businesses launched, sustainable jobs created, and opportunities offered to future generations. It is on this foundation that Africa’s mining giants will build their legitimacy.