Equatorial Guinea's government steps down due to poor results

The government of Equatorial Guinea has stepped down after not meeting important targets set by President Teodoro Mbasogo Obiang.

The BBC reports that Vice President Teodoro Obiang announced that Prime Minister Manuel Nsua submitted the resignation of the entire cabinet. This happened after the administration reportedly achieved less than 10 percent of its goals.

Mr Obiang did not share the specific targets that were missed, but officials pointed out failures in economic diversification, agriculture, development projects, and governance as main reasons for the cabinet's resignation.

He said this decision aligns with the idea that public officials must be responsible for their results.

The outgoing administration was appointed in 2024 to help improve governance and speed up economic reforms.

In a statement on X, the vice president mentioned that the level of government program implementation was much lower than expected.

"The degree of execution achieved is clearly insufficient in relation to the expectations and commitments undertaken," he wrote.

The ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) also shared on Facebook that President Obiang was unhappy with the outgoing government's performance. They cited issues like corruption, misuse of state resources for personal gain, and delays in development projects.

The ruling party added that the president was worried about the government's inability to diversify the economy, especially in agriculture.

Authorities think that increasing agricultural production could help reduce reliance on imports and boost local economic growth.

A new government is expected to be appointed soon.

Equatorial Guinea's economy mainly relies on the oil and gas sector, which makes up most of government revenue and export income. But declining oil production and lower demand in recent years have led to economic difficulties, even with the country's rich natural resources.

Poverty is still widespread among much of the country's estimated 1.8 million people, according to available data.

Eighty-four-year-old President Obiang is the world’s longest-serving leader. He took power in August 1979 after a military coup against his uncle, Francisco Nguema. Since then, he has held strong control over the government and often appointed family and close friends to key positions.

His son, Vice President Obiang Mangue, is seen as one of the most powerful figures in the government and a likely successor.