The news is at the heart of discussions in African financial circles: Henri-Claude Oyima, emblematic boss of the BGFIBANK group, was appointed this May 5, 2025 Minister of State, Minister of the Economy, Finance, Debt and Participations in the very first government formed after the swearing in the transitional president, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguéma.
This appointment arouses many hopes, especially in the Gabonese private sector, where Oyima is a respected figure. In addition to directing the first bank in the CEMAC zone, he chaired the Federation of Businesses in Gabon (FEG), which made it a key interlocutor between the State and the employers.
Architect of the renewal of the regional financial sector, Henri-Claude Oyima built the success story of the BGFIBANK group, present in eleven countries in Africa and in Europe. Under its leadership, the bank bought the activities of Société Générale in Congo (SG Congo) in 2023, and is currently in the running to take over Société Générale Cameroon. He was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central African Scholarships (BVMAC), a position he may have to leave because of his new ministerial functions.
An exemplary academic and professional journey
Born in 1956 in Franceville, Henri-Claude Oyima combined high-level academic training and professional experience over 40 years old. Holder of a Baccalaureate B series obtained at the French Lycée in Washington (1978), he continued his studies at the American University (Washington DC) where he successively won a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Finance and Company Economy option (1981), then a Master of Arts in Development Banking (1982). He then specialized in the customer relations Companies at the Citibank training center in Athens.
He began his career at Citibank New York in 1982, then returned to Gabon where he quickly held strategic positions: power founded at Citibank Libreville in 1983, deputy director general of Paribas Gabon, before becoming director general in 1985. He was briefly called to government as Minister of Economy and Finance in 1986, then returned to the banking sector. In 1996, he became director general of BGFIBANK SA, then president of the BGFIBANK group companies in 2000 and Chairman and CEO in 2012.
A regional financial empire
Under his leadership, BGFIBANK has become a reference banking group in Africa, with a strong establishment in the CEMAC zone (Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, RCA, Equatorial Guinea) and UEMOA (Ivory Coast, Senegal, Benin), but also in Paris.
In 2024, the BGFIBANK group posted a consolidated net profit from 122 billion FCFAup 27 % Compared to the previous year. Its total assessment amounts to 951 billion FCFAmaking him one of the strongest financial institutions in the region. The group’s next introduction to the BVMAC should strengthen the attractiveness of this scholarship in search of depth and liquidity.
A figure of rigor and commitment
Known for his discretion, his professionalism and his constant quest for performance, Henri-Claude Oyima embodies rigor and strategic vision. By choosing him as Minister of Finance, President Oligui Nguéma is betting on technocratic management to revive an economy weakened by years of poor governance.
