Gabon appoints World Bank senior manager as former state fund chief launches forest‑based venture

On 1 July 2026, the World Bank named Ivorian Sylvain Kakou as Senior Country Manager for Gabon, locating the senior representative in Libreville. Kakou will coordinate the Bank’s development operations, aiming to support Gabon's post‑transition reconstruction, macro‑economic consolidation and diversification away from hydrocarbons.

Akim Daouda, who directed the Gabonese Strategic Investment Fund (FGIS) from 2013 and grew its assets to about US$1.8 billion, left the public sector to found Mwaana Inc. The new venture uses Congo‑Basin forest resources to develop bio‑economy projects, including carbon‑credit schemes and REDD+ initiatives, building on Daouda’s experience with debt‑for‑nature swaps and carbon‑credit commercialization for Gabon.