AGP Executive Report

Digital Life: Airtel Gabon and ZTE have deployed a new network technology to boost mobile capacity and support Gabon’s future 5G development, with potential benefits for online education, public services and entertainment. Travel: The United States’ partial visa suspension for Gabonese nationals covers visitor, student and exchange visas, as well as immigrant visas; the restrictions took effect on January 1. Gabonese Stories on Screen: Rwandan-Gabonese drama Ben’Imana, about memory and survival after genocide, won two prizes at Cannes after emerging from a pitch at Durban FilmMart. The adventure film Gabon Uncharted, following kayakers down the Ivindo River, is also set to feature on the Banff Mountain Film Festival tour. Girls’ Education: Merck Foundation CEO Rasha Kelej has called for families and communities to support girls’ ambitions; Gabon was among the countries where the foundation launched its Educating Linda program. Digital Payments: Gabon’s cabinet approved proposed rules to improve payment-system interoperability and expand financial education as the country moves toward greater use of cashless payments.

Gabon on Screen: Rwandan-Gabonese drama Ben’Imana, produced by Samantha Biffot, won the FIPRESCI Prize and Caméra d’Or after premiering at Cannes. Biffot will discuss how the film moved from a Durban FilmMart pitch to the world stage. Ivindo Adventure: Gabon Uncharted, following four kayakers’ 12-day descent of the Ivindo River, is among the films touring with the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Girls’ Education: Merck Foundation CEO Rasha Kelej says families and communities must support girls’ ambitions; her article highlights the Educating Linda program launched in Gabon. Travel Alert: Gabonese nationals are among those facing partial US visa restrictions, covering visitor, student and exchange visas as well as immigrant visas.

Girls’ Education: Merck Foundation CEO Dr. Rasha Kelej says access to education must go hand in hand with family and community support for girls’ ambitions; her article featured the launch of the Educating Linda programme in Gabon. Gabon on Screen: Producer Samantha Biffot will discuss Ben’Imana, a Rwanda-Gabonese film about memory and survival after genocide. The project won awards at Cannes after being pitched at Durban FilmMart. Travel and Adventure: Gabon Uncharted, following four kayakers on a 12-day descent of the Ivindo River, is among the films on this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival tour. Public Health: A UN report says authorities seized 251 tonnes of medical products across Central Africa from 2020 to 2025, including in Gabon, warning that counterfeit and diverted medicines threaten public health. Travel Restrictions: Gabon is among 14 African countries whose nationals face partial US visa restrictions, covering visitor, student and exchange visas, as well as immigrant visas.

Travel: The United States has partially suspended visa issuance to Gabonese nationals, affecting visitor, student and exchange visas, as well as all immigrant visas. Gabonese Cinema: Producer Samantha Biffot will share how Ben’Imana, a Rwandan-Gabonese film about memory and survival after genocide, moved from a Durban FilmMart pitch to Cannes, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and Caméra d’Or. Adventure on Screen: Gabon Uncharted, following four kayakers’ 12-day descent of the Ivindo River, is among the films on this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival tour. Public Health: A UN report says authorities seized 251 tonnes of medicines across Central Africa from 2020 to 2025, including in Gabon, amid concern over counterfeit and diverted drugs.

Gabon on Screen: The Banff Mountain Film Festival’s 2026 tour features Gabon Uncharted, following four kayakers’ 12-day descent of the Ivindo River through towering waterfalls and dangerous rapids. The tour reaches Salisbury on October 17. African Film: At Durban FilmMart, producer Samantha Biffot is sharing how Ben’Imana, a Rwandan-Gabonese drama that won awards at Cannes, grew from a market pitch into an international release. Public Health: A UN report says authorities seized 251 tonnes of illicit medicines across Central Africa from 2020 to 2025, including in Gabon, warning that counterfeit and diverted drugs put patients at risk. Skills and Jobs: Gabon plans to train 400 young professionals in Libreville, with programmes designed to connect practical skills to employment and business opportunities.

Gabon on the Big Screen: The Banff Mountain Film Festival’s UK tour features Gabon Uncharted, following four kayakers on a 12-day descent of the Ivindo River through waterfalls and rapids. African Cinema: Gabonese producer Samantha Biffot will discuss the journey of Ben’Imana, a Rwandan-Gabonese drama that won prizes at Cannes, from a Durban FilmMart pitch to the international stage. Youth Skills: Gabon plans to train 400 young professionals in Libreville, with vocational courses aimed at linking skills to jobs and business opportunities. Travel: Gabonese travellers are among the African nationals eligible for 30-day visa-free visits to the Philippines.

Film & Culture: Gabonese producer Samantha Biffot will discuss taking Ben’Imana, a Rwanda-Gabon drama, from a Durban FilmMart pitch to Cannes, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and Caméra d’Or. Youth & Education: Gabon plans to train 400 young people in job-focused skills as it shifts attention to human capital; supporters see a route to diversification, while critics question whether training will lead to lasting jobs. Public Health: A UN report warns that illicit medicines threaten Central Africa, including Gabon. Authorities seized 251 tonnes of medical products across six countries from 2020 to 2025, including antibiotics, antimalarials and counterfeit drugs.

African Film: Gabonese producer Samantha Biffot is taking Ben’Imana to Durban FilmMart, where she’ll discuss how the Rwandan-Gabonese drama moved from a market pitch to Cannes, winning the FIPRESCI Prize and Caméra d’Or. Travel: Gabonese travellers are among nationals of 46 African countries eligible for up to 30 days visa-free in the Philippines, subject to passport and onward-ticket requirements. Public Health: A UN-backed report warns of illicit medicine trafficking across Central Africa. Authorities seized 251 tonnes of medical products from 2020 to 2025 in six countries, including Gabon. Youth and Jobs: Gabon’s plan to train 400 young people in Libreville is prompting debate over whether vocational skills will lead to lasting jobs and business opportunities.

Film & Culture: Gabonese producer Samantha Biffot will discuss Ben’Imana at the Durban FilmMart after the Rwandan-Gabonese drama won two prizes at Cannes. The film’s journey from a 2024 market pitch to international acclaim spotlights African storytelling and cross-border collaboration. Public Health: A UN report warns that illicit medicines threaten Central Africa, including Gabon; authorities seized 251 tonnes of medical products across the region from 2020 to 2025. Youth & Education: Gabon is training 400 young people in Libreville for skills tied to jobs and business creation, as the government bets on human capital to diversify the economy. Ageing & Society: Libreville held its first National Day for Retirees and Older Persons on October 1, an annual event that puts healthcare, assistance and dignity in retirement on the policy agenda. Travel: Gabonese passport holders are among nationals of 46 African countries eligible for up to 30 days visa-free in the Philippines.

Film & Culture: Gabonese producer Samantha Biffot is taking the acclaimed Rwanda-Gabonese drama Ben’Imana to Durban FilmMart, where she’ll discuss how the film moved from a 2024 market pitch to Cannes, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and Caméra d’Or. Travel: Gabonese nationals are among 46 African groups eligible for up to 30 days visa-free in the Philippines, subject to passport and onward-travel requirements. Youth & Education: Gabon plans to train 400 young people in job-focused skills, part of a push to connect education with employment and support economic diversification. Aging & Society: Libreville marked the first National Day for Retirees and the Elderly on October 1, putting dignified retirement and older people’s place in society on the national policy agenda.

Film & Culture: Gabonese producer Samantha Biffot is taking Ben’Imana, a Rwandan-Gabonese drama that won two awards at Cannes, to Durban FilmMart. The film was first pitched there in 2024; Biffot will discuss how its cross-border co-production reached the world stage. Youth & Work: Gabon plans to train 400 young people in Libreville, with skills aimed at local job needs. The initiative has drawn support and questions about whether training will translate into lasting employment. Older Residents: The country’s first National Day for Retirees and Older Persons put aging and retirement on the social-policy agenda, honoring workers while raising questions about healthcare, assistance and dignity in later life. Health: A UN report says authorities seized 251 tonnes of illicit medicines across Central Africa from 2020 to 2025, including in Gabon, warning that unsafe drugs threaten patients.

Gabonese Film: Producer Samantha Biffot will discuss Ben’Imana, the Rwandan-Gabonese drama that moved from a Durban FilmMart pitch to Cannes, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and Caméra d’Or. The 2026 film market runs October 9–12. Travel: Gabon is among 46 African countries whose citizens can visit the Philippines visa-free for up to 30 days; travellers should check entry requirements before booking. Public Health: A UN report says authorities seized 251 tonnes of illicit medical products across Central Africa from 2020 to 2025, including in Gabon, warning that unsafe medicines threaten patients. Older Gabonese: Libreville held the country’s first National Day for Retirees and Older Persons on October 1, putting elder care and intergenerational ties on the social-policy agenda. Culture and Nature: Gabon’s forests and traditions offer a distinctive visitor experience, from Bwiti masquerade rituals to wildlife-rich wilderness. Youth and Skills: A new initiative plans to train 400 young professionals in Libreville, with a focus on practical skills and employment.

Public Health: A UN report says authorities seized at least 251 tonnes of illicit medicines across Central Africa, including Gabon, from 2020 to 2025, warning that counterfeit and diverted drugs can cause treatment failures and deaths. Travel: Gabonese passport holders are among citizens of 46 African countries eligible for up to 30 days visa-free in the Philippines, subject to entry requirements. Cultural Heritage: Gabon has halted iboga exports while it builds a national benefit-sharing framework. A community in Ogooué-Ivindo earned about $50,000 from legal shipments, but its promised share of downstream profits has yet to arrive. Older Residents: Libreville held Gabon’s first National Day for Retirees and Older Persons on October 1, honoring generations of workers and putting healthcare, support and retirement dignity on the policy agenda. Youth and Education: A new program aims to train 400 young people in Libreville for jobs and business opportunities, as Gabon debates whether skills training can translate into lasting employment.

Travel: Gabonese passport holders are among nationals eligible for up to 30 days visa-free in the Philippines, subject to passport and onward-ticket requirements. Public Health: A UN report says authorities seized 251 tonnes of medicines across Central Africa from 2020 to 2025, including in Gabon, warning that counterfeit and diverted drugs put patients at risk. Elders and Community: Libreville held Gabon’s first National Day for Retirees and Older Persons on October 1, honoring generations of workers and putting retirement well-being on the social-policy agenda. Music and Education: Singer Annie-Flore Batchiellilys plans a November 15 national tour combining music and mediation workshops in 640 schools, engaging students, educators and parents in dialogue and communication. Cultural Heritage: Gabon has suspended iboga exports while developing a benefit-sharing framework for the medicinal plant and traditional knowledge; a community group says it has yet to receive its promised share of downstream profits. A report from Mikumu village also offers a rare look at Bwiti masquerade rituals, where the Marumba spirit features in ceremonies for celebrations and deaths.

National Social Policy: Libreville held Gabon’s first National Day for Retirees and Older Persons on Oct. 1, with retirees honored and a bigger question pushed into the spotlight: how to secure dignified retirement in the Fifth Republic. Human Capital Debate: The government also unveiled training and professional insertion plans for 400 young people in Libreville, aiming to turn skills into real jobs and entrepreneurship—while critics ask whether it will translate into lasting employment. UN Funding for SDGs: The UN in Gabon mobilized 10.5 billion FCFA (about $18.5m) for 2025 across 21 agencies, targeting governance and human rights, a green-blue economy shift, and social inclusion. Iboga Governance: Gabon’s decree on benefit-sharing for iboga and related traditional knowledge is still struggling to deliver promised downstream value, even as exports were paused to build a new national framework. Culture & Community: Annie-Flore Batchiellilys’ “Mu Tsanu” tour is set to reach 640 schools with workshops combining music and professional mediation. Wildlife Spotlight: A new look at Gabon’s cave-dwelling dwarf crocodiles shows them hunting bats in underground lairs.

Gabon’s Human Capital Push: President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema’s government is training 400 young professionals in Libreville, aiming to turn skills into real jobs and entrepreneurship—though critics are asking how training will translate into lasting employment. Gabon’s Civic Recognition for Elders: Libreville hosted Gabon’s first National Day for Retirees and Older Persons, honoring teachers, nurses, soldiers and more, while pushing the bigger question of healthcare and protection for aging citizens. UN Funding Boost: The UN announced $18.5m (10.5bn FCFA) for Gabon’s 2025 SDG work across governance, the green-blue economy, and social inclusion. Ibogaine Benefit-Sharing Under Scrutiny: Gabon’s decree on benefit sharing for iboga and related traditional knowledge is moving, but communities say promised downstream value still hasn’t arrived. Culture & Community Mediation: Singer Annie-Flore Batchiellilys’ “Mu Tsanu” tour will bring music-based mediation workshops to 640 schools, focusing on listening and dialogue. Public Health Warning: A UN report warns Central Africa’s fake and diverted medicines are fueling disease and deaths, with seizures including in Gabon. Wildlife Spotlight: New footage reveals Gabon’s cave-dwelling dwarf crocodiles hunting bats in underground lairs.