Gabon’s culture and sports minister achieves 62.3% project completion in first months

Invited to the flagship programme “100-day review” on national television, the minister of youth, sports, cultural outreach and arts, Paul Kessany, calmly submitted to the exercise of democratic accountability. Appointed on 2 January 2026, the official presented a particularly dynamic sector dashboard: out of 53 initiatives launched, 62.3% were completed, while another 24.5% are more than halfway to completion.

At a time when the Fifth Republic prides itself on having sparked a new momentum, certain actors can boast of having fully contributed to it. Among them is Paul Ulrich Kessany Zategwa. Indeed, the minister of youth, sports, cultural outreach and arts has worked hard to leave his mark. This started on the youth front with the installation of a normalisation committee within the National Youth Council of Gabon (CNJG). This regulatory act was just one step in a string of achievements.

Paul Kessany on the path to the expected renewal

That is certainly the conclusion one can easily draw given the early signs visible in the roadmap. In the sports domain, the government member launched an in-depth audit that led to the regularisation of 13 Olympic federations. This initiative represents the first stage of a comprehensive overhaul of the associative fabric. On the infrastructure front, the minister of youth, sports, cultural outreach and arts has given himself two years to see the Panthers back on national pitches within that timeframe.

Meanwhile, the cultural component has distinguished itself with notable legislative and technological advances. Whether it is the modernisation of the Gabonese Copyright Office (BUGADA), marked by the swearing-in of 21 agents, or the digitisation of 2,250 works, Paul Ulrich Kessany has taken steps to protect national heritage. The decree of 22 May 2026, which now regulates the exploitation of Iboga in the face of international commercial pressure, crowns this journey. And what of the country’s diplomatic shine during the 18th FEMUA in Abidjan — a masterstroke that has confirmed his managerial acumen to this day.