Biography
Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bioko Consulting, a consultancy based in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, that focuses on energy and sustainable development in Africa, with upstream, midstream and downstream services for the oil, gas and mining industries. He previously spent more than a decade as the minister responsible for Equatorial Guinea’s mines and hydrocarbons sector.
From 2012 to 2023, Obiang Lima held the mines and hydrocarbons portfolio, first as Minister of Mines, Industry and Energy and later as Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons. During his tenure, Equatorial Guinea was admitted to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in May 2017. In February 2023, he was appointed Minister of Finance, Economy and Planning.
Through Bioko Consulting, he develops investment partnerships for African energy and resource projects. In August 2025, the firm signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing with the Asia Development & Investment Bank and KAI Asia Consultancy to cooperate on financing and developing oil, gas, aviation and mining projects in Africa, with plans for operational bases in Malabo and Accra. At ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi, Bioko Consulting signed a strategic collaboration agreement with GENESIS Energy Holding to launch the E2A (Energy to Africa) initiative.
His focus areas include energy investment and project finance, oil and gas value chain development, and cooperation between African energy producers and investors in Asia and the Gulf. He speaks regularly at African energy conferences, including African Energy Week and MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power.
Career Highlights
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bioko Consulting, based in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
- Held Equatorial Guinea’s mines and hydrocarbons ministerial portfolio from 2012 to 2023
- Equatorial Guinea joined OPEC in May 2017 during his time as minister
- Appointed Minister of Finance, Economy and Planning in February 2023
- Led Bioko Consulting’s 2025 agreements with the Asia Development & Investment Bank and GENESIS Energy Holding
On the AETC Stage
“Investors like money. They don't like noise. When they hear a lot of noise, they move. Without drilling, you do not have a discovery. Without a discovery, you don't have a development. Without a development, you do not have production and without production, you do not have revenue. Gas is the future. I am going to repeat it again: gas is the future.”
