Competition from neighboring Nigeria is strong. The government aims to reinforce the private sector and to withdraw the state's participation in the industrial sector progressively. A large number of state-enterprises generating low profit or functioning below their capacity have been privatized or liquidated. There are several more that are to be examined by end-1996. Newly adopted measures are expected to stimulate private investment.
Crude oil is produced in small quantities for export from offshore and inland sites.
Annual production reaches approximately 1 million barrels. The country largely depends on energy imported from Ghana and Togo. The cost of electricity is high. The domestic electrical network is to be expanded, with an emphasis on rural electrification programs. Water supply facilities are still poor in most towns and villages.