Libreville — For decades, Africa’s mineral wealth has flowed outward, enriching foreign nations while leaving mining communities with crumbling infrastructure, weak public services, and a deep sense of economic exclusion. Gabon is now breaking this pattern by redirecting a share of its mining revenue directly into local development.

The shift comes through a revised agreement with Comilog, the world’s leading producer of high-grade manganese and a subsidiary of French group Eramet. Under the new terms, 20% of the proportional mining royalty is automatically allocated to the Local Communities Development Fund. An additional portion, drawn from the extraction tax on quarries operated by the company, further boosts the fund available to mining regions.

This move signals a fundamental shift in Gabon’s mining strategy. No longer content with tax revenues and export growth, the country is positioning its natural resources as tools for territorial cohesion and human development.

Breaking free from the resource curse

The paradox has haunted African economies for generations: how can regions rich in minerals remain among the poorest on the continent? Gabon, the world’s second-largest manganese producer, has long grappled with this dilemma. Mining zones have borne the brunt of environmental and social costs, yet rarely saw a visible return from the wealth extracted beneath their soil.

That began to change with the 2019 Mining Code reform, later reinforced in 2020 through an addendum with Comilog. For the first time, a fixed portion of mining revenue is earmarked directly for affected communities, independent of national budget decisions. This model aligns Gabon with successful practices in countries like Botswana and Canada, where social acceptance of mining hinges on fair benefit-sharing.

A shared governance model

The system operates through a tripartite governance structure involving the State, local authorities, and the mining operator. The Partnership Management Committee sets strategic priorities, while the Operational Management Committee oversees implementation. This structure ensures that development projects reflect local realities rather than being dictated from distant capitals.

Funds are channeled into public infrastructure, collective facilities, health centers, schools, water access, local economic initiatives, and job creation. Early results are promising. By 2025, Comilog reports that 26 community projects had been completed, totaling nearly 8.5 billion CFA francs in investments and benefiting around 240,000 people in mining basins—remarkable impact in a nation of fewer than three million.

Paving the way for a new African mining compact

The stakes extend far beyond Gabon’s borders. Global demand for critical minerals is surging, driven by energy transitions, electric mobility, and digital innovation. Manganese has become essential to battery production and next-generation industrial technologies. Central Africa holds a significant share of the world’s reserves needed for this new economy.

The real challenge now is not how much mineral wealth Africa exports, but how much stays behind to fund education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic diversification.

Comilog has pledged to support this transformation by fostering local entrepreneurship, vocational training, and income-generating activities, aiming to reduce communities’ reliance on extractive industries alone.

If this vision endures, Gabon could emerge as a leading African example of a renewed social contract between mining, the state, and its people. In the 21st century, the true measure of a mine’s value is no longer just tons exported or dividends paid—it’s the schools built, businesses launched, jobs sustained, and opportunities created for future generations. This is where the legitimacy of Africa’s major mining powers will ultimately be decided.