The era of the SEEG in Gabon has officially ended. The government has dissolved the Société d’énergie et d’eau du Gabon, the historic public utility operator for water and electricity that served the nation for over four decades. Two distinct companies will replace it, each focused on a specific service. The decision, made during a recent council of ministers meeting in Libreville, ends months of anticipation and speculation about the future of an operator plagued by technical and financial deficits.
End of a historic public service operator in Gabon
The SEEG, once a concession held by the French group Veolia before its withdrawal in 2018, was taken over by the Gabonese state. However, the company never regained stability, with frequent water cuts and electricity blackouts affecting major towns. Libreville, Port-Gentil, and Franceville often experienced power outages, angering residents and businesses. The transitional authorities, who came to power after the ousting of Ali Bongo in August 2023, made reforming the sector a priority in the national development plan.
The government’s assessment was harsh: aging infrastructure, chronic underinvestment, opaque governance, and the mixing of production, transmission, and distribution roles were major issues. Separating these activities aims to clarify responsibilities and attract specialized investors capable of injecting capital into each sector.
Two specialized entities for water and electricity
Specifically, the reform creates one company dedicated to electricity and another to drinking water. This segmentation, already adopted by several countries in the subregion, isolates the distinct economic models of each service. Electricity distribution relies on heavy production, high-tension networks, and energy mix strategies. The water sector follows territorial and sanitary logic, with challenges in catchment, treatment, and rural supply.
The new institutional framework should also facilitate the arrival of targeted technical and financial partners. International donors like the African Development Bank and the World Bank have long demanded structural clarity before committing to long-term funding. The International Finance Corporation had already expressed interest in sector projects, provided the legal framework was overhauled.
Industrial and social challenge for transitional authorities
Implementation will be delicate. The fate of about 2,000 SEEG employees is a sensitive issue, along with handling accumulated liabilities and ensuring uninterrupted billing for customers. The authorities must also define the exact scope of concessions, tariff-setting rules, and the role of the future regulatory body. Several unions have already demanded guarantees on preserving social benefits and avoiding mass layoffs.
Strategically, this reform is part of a broader push for economic sovereignty by transitional president Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. Gabon aims to regain control over its strategic assets while securing essential services. The country has significant hydroelectric potential, notably at the Grand Poubara and Kinguélé Aval dams, still largely underutilized relative to national demand. The challenge now is to turn this natural endowment into operational performance for households and industries.
The timeline for establishing the two entities has not been detailed, but the government plans a gradual rollout over the coming months. Success will depend on the quality of governance and the ability to mobilize capital for catch-up investments. The council of ministers formally approved the decision.
