Equatorial Guinea Government Resigns After Poor Performance Review

(Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua. Photo Credit: Photo by BBC)

The government of Equatorial Guinea has resigned after falling short of its performance targets, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue announced on Tuesday.

Mangue, who is also the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, explained that the cabinet stepped down after achieving only about 10 per cent of its set goals.

He stressed that public office must be measured by results, noting that despite the considerable human, material, and financial resources the state had made available to the government, its level of execution fell well short of the expectations and commitments it had undertaken.

Although the vice president did not specify the exact targets in question, the ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea disclosed that President Mbasogo was dissatisfied with the outgoing administration’s overall performance.

The government, led by Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua and appointed in 2024, had been tasked with driving economic reforms aimed at improving living conditions, particularly for the country’s poorer citizens.

However, the nation’s economy has continued to struggle amid declining oil production, reduced investment, and external economic pressures. Equatorial Guinea remains heavily reliant on petroleum, with oil and gas accounting for the bulk of its export earnings and government revenue.

President Mbasogo, who has led the country since 1979 and holds the record as the world’s longest-serving head of state, also criticised the outgoing government for failing to diversify the economy, particularly by strengthening the agricultural sector, which he said could help reduce the country’s dependence on imported goods.

A new government is expected to be unveiled in the coming days.