The Inhibition of Entrepreneurship in Gabon: An Idiosyncratic Approach to Socio-historical and Economic Aspects

This study analyzes the determinants of entrepreneurial inhibition in Gabon, a rentier economy paradoxically lacking in dynamism. Employing a systemic approach that combines historical analysis, qualitative fieldwork (85 interviews), and quantitative validation (200 entrepreneurs), the research identifies a triple configuration as the cause. The findings show: (1) a preference for public sector employment (63% of graduates) rooted in the redistributive state; (2) an informal redistributive constraint hindering capital accumulation (72% of affected entrepreneurs, with up to 30% of cash flow diverted); (3) a locked economy where 85% of public contracts go to connected firms, and where perceived barriers to entry are maximal (8.7/10 in strategic sectors). Evidence from the diaspora is revealing: Gabonese entrepreneurs abroad have a 5-year survival rate of 68% (compared to 22% locally) and significantly better access to credit (74% vs 18%). These results invalidate culturalist explanations and underscore the systemic inhibitory effect of the national context. Policy implications require integrated action on these three lock-ins: improving governance to break up oligopolies, reforming credit access for SMEs, and creating formal social mechanisms to alleviate informal redistributive pressure.