SONOCO plans to boost Gabon’s poultry sector with 15 million chickens yearly

The Guinean conglomerate SONOCO is poised to revolutionize Gabon’s poultry market. During a high-level meeting with President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, the panafrican group unveiled ambitious plans for a large-scale investment aimed at reshaping a sector heavily reliant on imports. The initiative targets an annual production exceeding 15 million chickens, a groundbreaking volume for the Central African nation.

This strategic move aligns with Gabon’s economic diversification goals, spearheaded by transitional authorities eager to curb food import costs and stimulate rural employment. Currently, Gabon imports most of the poultry consumed domestically, a dependency widely criticized as detrimental to food sovereignty.

From farm to fork: a fully integrated poultry ecosystem

SONOCO’s project is designed as a vertically integrated value chain, encompassing every stage from breeding and feed production to slaughtering, processing, and distribution. This structured approach will enable the group to optimize costs, ensure supply chain resilience, and deliver locally produced poultry at competitive prices, competing directly with frozen imports from Brazil, the United States, or Europe.

The investment includes the construction of state-of-the-art breeding facilities, a feed mill to produce compound feeds locally, and processing plants meeting international sanitary standards. For a country where the poultry sector remains in its infancy, this industrial leap could permanently transform Gabon’s agro-food landscape.

With a proven track record across multiple industrial sectors in West Africa, SONOCO brings continental expertise to Gabon’s market. The group’s panafrican footprint serves as a compelling argument for authorities, who view this partnership as a tangible example of South-South cooperation between Conakry and Libreville.

Food sovereignty and reducing import dependency

For Libreville, the stakes extend beyond poultry alone. Gabon’s trade balance suffers significantly from food imports, despite the country’s vast arable lands and favorable agricultural climate. Reducing this reliance has been a cornerstone of President Oligui Nguema’s agenda since assuming office.

The arrival of a major investor in poultry aligns perfectly with this vision. By producing several million chickens locally each year, SONOCO would significantly reduce foreign exchange outflows linked to frozen meat imports. The project is also expected to create both direct and indirect jobs, particularly in rural areas where industrial poultry farming could provide opportunities for young workers.

However, achieving these ambitions requires overcoming structural challenges. Land access, availability of raw materials for animal feed, regulatory stability, and distribution logistics are among the key hurdles faced by poultry operators in Central Africa. The group’s ability to secure these elements will determine the project’s long-term success.

A strategic signal to regional investors

Beyond SONOCO’s specific initiative, this diplomatic and economic engagement underscores Gabon’s commitment to attracting African capital into productive sectors. The decision to engage with a Guinean group at the highest level, rather than a Western or Asian counterpart, reflects a deliberate shift toward deeper continental integration.

While the exact investment amount and implementation timeline remain undisclosed following the presidential meeting, the next phases will likely focus on finalizing framework agreements, identifying suitable sites, and mobilizing funding. For Gabonese authorities, turning this announcement into a tangible industrial reality will be the ultimate test of its viability.