AfDB support helps Gabon resolve 10-year water shortage in Libreville

By Abbas Nazil
Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and African Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina have inaugurated a new state-of-the-art drinking water pumping station in Libreville, marking the end of a ten-year water crisis for over 128,000 residents.
Located in the PK5 district of the capital, the newly commissioned facility can deliver up to 57,600 cubic meters of clean water daily across seven northern neighborhoods, transforming access to this essential service for a population that had long been deprived.
The PK5 station is a central component of the Integrated Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Program for Libreville (PAIEPAL), a €117.4 million investment project co-financed by the AfDB and the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), backed by the People’s Bank of China.
The project seeks to address Libreville’s long-standing water and sanitation challenges while improving sector governance and institutional capacity.
The initiative now guarantees access to clean water for more than 300,000 people, or roughly 31 percent of Libreville’s population, in the communes of Libreville, Akanda, Owendo, and Ntoum.
During the ceremony, Adesina emphasized the life-altering impact of the project, declaring that a decade of thirst and hardship had been brought to an end.
Residents, visibly emotional, expressed gratitude for the return of water to their taps after years of relying on water tankers and carrying jugs over long distances.
For many, including children and the elderly, the change has already improved daily life and hygiene conditions.
The infrastructure improvements include the renewal of 150 kilometers of aging pipelines, extension and upgrading of an additional 150 kilometers, the rehabilitation of water towers, and the installation of approximately 60 public standpipes.
Gabon’s Minister for Universal Access to Water and Energy, Philippe Tonangoye, praised the AfDB’s commitment, noting that many of the areas now receiving water had gone dry for over a decade.
In recognition of his leadership and developmental impact across the continent, President Nguema awarded Dr. Adesina the Grand Officer of the Order of the Gabonese Merit, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.
Under Adesina’s leadership since 2015, the AfDB has increased its investment in Gabon by \$1.5 billion, surpassing the \$1 billion committed in the previous four decades combined.
The AfDB continues to play a pivotal role in Gabon’s infrastructure development, financing flagship projects such as the New Owendo International Port, the 40-megawatt Kinguélé Aval hydroelectric plant—Gabon’s first energy public-private partnership—and the Ndende-Doussala road project, which forms part of the Libreville-Brazzaville transport corridor aimed at enhancing regional integration.
The Bank’s active $61.26 million portfolio in Gabon is aligned with two main objectives: building sustainable infrastructure to accelerate industrialization, and improving governance and the business climate to foster inclusive development.
The social impact of these investments is already visible, notably at institutions like the National School for Hearing-Impaired Children in Nzeng-Ayong, which gained access to clean drinking water on June 2, significantly improving hygiene and learning conditions.
As President Adesina nears the end of his final term as AfDB President, he leaves behind a legacy of transformative change.
Under the AfDB’s “High 5” priorities, 565 million people across Africa have benefited, including 63 million with new access to clean water and 34 million with improved sanitation services.
The Libreville water project stands as a testament to the AfDB’s enduring commitment to sustainable development and the power of strategic partnerships in addressing Africa’s infrastructure challenges.