During a special appearance on the “100-Day Review” program broadcast by Gabon 1ère, the Minister of Youth, Sports, Cultural Outreach and the Arts, Paul Kessany, calmly submitted to the democratic accountability exercise. Appointed on 2 January 2026, the official presented a dynamic sectoral scoreboard showing that 62.3% of the 53 planned projects had been fully completed, while a further 24.5% were more than half finished.
As the Fifth Republic prides itself on having launched a fresh dynamic, certain individuals can claim to have contributed fully. Paul Ulrich Kessany Zategwa is among them. Indeed, the minister has worked to leave his mark, starting with youth affairs: he set up a normalisation committee within the National Youth Council of Gabon (CNJG). This regulatory act was just one step in a chain of achievements.
Paul Kessany on the path to the expected renewal
This conclusion is easy to reach given the early signs visible in the programme of work. In the sports sector, the government member launched an in-depth audit that led to the regularisation of 13 Olympic federations. This initiative marks the first stage of a comprehensive cleanup of the associative landscape. Regarding infrastructure, the minister has given himself two years to bring the Panthères back to national pitches.
Furthermore, the cultural component stood out with notable legislative and technological advances. Whether it was modernising the Gabonese Copyright Office (BUGADA) – culminating in the swearing-in of 21 agents – or digitising 2,250 works, Paul Ulrich Kessany has taken steps to protect the national heritage. The decree of 22 May 2026, which now regulates the exploitation of Iboga in the face of international commercial pressure, crowns this trajectory. And what about the country’s diplomatic shine during the 18th FEMUA in Abidjan? A masterstroke that has confirmed his management skills to this day.
