Gabon’s sovereign spreads have remained relatively high in recent years, hovering around stressed and distressed territories since mid-2022, despite high oil prices. This paper investigates the determinants of sovereign spreads in 50 EMDEs, using a fixed effects panel model and leverages the results to draw lessons for improving funding costs in Gabon. The analysis finds that weak governance, high public debt, weak economic performance, a poor government payment track record, and social v