Gabon minister Paul Kessany reports 62.3 percent completion rate for culture and sports projects

Paul Kessany, the minister responsible for youth, sports, cultural outreach and the arts, calmly participated in the mandatory 100-day review program on national television. Appointed on January 2, 2026, he presented a dynamic sectoral dashboard showing that 62.3% of 53 projects were fully completed, while 24.5% reached an execution rate above 50%.

As Gabon’s Fifth Republic prides itself on driving fresh momentum, some officials have clearly made their mark. Among them is Paul Ulrich Kessany Zategwa. In the youth sector, he established a normalisation committee within the National Youth Council of Gabon (CNJG). That regulatory act was just one step in a string of achievements.

Paul Kessany on track for the expected renewal

That assessment is easily justified given the early results in his portfolio. In sports, the minister launched a thorough audit that led to the regularisation of 13 Olympic federations. This initiative is the first phase of a broader clean-up of the associative landscape. On infrastructure, Kessany set a two-year deadline to bring the national football team, the Panthers, back to domestic stadiums.

On the cultural front, notable legislative and technological progress was made. Modernisation of the Gabonese Copyright Office (BUGADA) saw 21 agents sworn in, and 2,250 works were digitised. A decree on May 22, 2026 now regulates the exploitation of Iboga in response to international commercial pressure. Gabon’s diplomatic visibility also shone at FEMUA 18 in Abidjan, a masterstroke that has reinforced his managerial reputation to this day.