Libreville – In a rare show of direct engagement, President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema went face-to-face with employees of the Société d’Énergie et d’Eau du Gabon (SEEG) on Monday, opting for dialogue rather than distant communiqués to address one of the country’s most persistent public service crises.

For nearly three hours at the Jean Violas training centre in Owendo, the head of state listened, questioned, redirected and set a clear course. The meeting marks a new phase in handling a file that has become highly strategic for Gabon’s economic and social future.

The encounter, organised at the workers’ request, comes at a time when repeated power cuts, water supply breakdowns, ageing infrastructure and governance doubts have placed energy at the centre of national debate. Beyond a simple institutional exchange, the presidential initiative signals a desire to restore direct dialogue between decision-makers and field actors to identify the root causes of dysfunction and speed up solutions.

Workers speak openly about SEEG’s challenges

The exchanges allowed employees to candidly describe the daily realities they face – accumulated failures, organisational difficulties, technical constraints and management shortcomings. According to information from the meeting, the workers themselves acknowledged that lasting recovery cannot happen without collective self-examination. They emphasised the need for a general mobilisation, a deep shift in management practices and greater commitment at all levels of responsibility.

This internal recognition of difficulties is significant. It shows the debate now goes beyond investment or infrastructure alone; it touches governance, work organisation and a culture of performance within the company. Many observers see this as a break from a logic where blame was often shifted entirely to the state or technical constraints, opening the way for a more comprehensive approach to recovery.

Governance at the heart of reform

Acknowledging the findings, the president placed governance at the centre of his intervention. His message was clear: no reform can produce lasting results without rigour, transparency, accountability and a sense of the common good. Through this stance, Oligui Nguema stressed that modernising SEEG does not depend solely on financial investments or infrastructure projects, but also on the quality of management and the ability of leaders to fully assume their responsibilities.

This demand for accountability comes as authorities multiply reforms to improve public service efficiency. In the case of SEEG, the aim is to rebuild trust between the company and users, badly shaken by years of problems. The stated goal is to build a company more focused on performance, service quality and citizen satisfaction.

Water and electricity as development pillars

During the meeting, President Oligui Nguema recalled the fundamental importance of access to clean water and electricity. For him, these services are not merely technical matters – they are essential levers for economic development, public health, education and improving living conditions. This vision explains the close attention given to the energy dossier since the transition and after the presidential election. Authorities now consider water and electricity as key determinants of national competitiveness and well-being.

The president’s visit to the workshops at the Jean Violas training centre also allowed him to assess the facility’s capacity, which is expected to play a major role in strengthening technical skills. Human resource training is now seen as a pillar of the desired transformation.

At the end of the exchanges, SEEG workers reaffirmed their willingness to actively participate in the recovery drive. Their commitment aligns with the authorities’ ambition: to build a modernised SEEG capable of providing reliable service and meeting the growing expectations of Gabonese citizens. In a country where energy challenges largely determine growth prospects, this meeting goes far beyond the social sphere. It symbolises a strong conviction of the executive that the most complex crises are not solved by administrative decisions alone – they also require listening, shared responsibility and collective mobilisation around the common good. That is precisely the message the president chose to deliver by placing dialogue at the heart of SEEG’s transformation.