African banking supervisors conclude 2026 conference with calls for enhanced cooperation
via Gabon Review3 min read
The 2026 Annual Conference and Meeting of the Community of African Banking Supervisors CABS concluded on June 5 in Yaoundé, following two days of discussions on banking supervision in Africa. The event, themed "Strengthening Prudential Cooperation and Financial Stability in Africa," brought together central bank representatives. Key recommendations included reinforcing digitalization, prudential supervision, and the coordinated management of technological and cross-border risks. Participants examined ways to strengthen cooperation among supervisory authorities, focusing on information sharing mechanisms and cross-border coordination. Progress on the multilateral memorandum of understanding for information exchange and discussions on pending agreements between some African central banks highlighted the commitment to a more integrated supervisory architecture. The conference also validated the main directions of the 2026-2028 work program, which centers on cross-border banking supervision, crisis management, and Basel regulations. Debates also addressed emerging challenges from technological innovation, such as artificial intelligence, rising cyber risks, and new financial instruments like stable coins, emphasizing the need to adapt prudential frameworks. CABS President Patricia Danielle Manon, also Deputy Secretary General of the Banking Commission of Central Africa Cobac, praised the discussions and called for further joint projects, cross-training, and shared missions to enh
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The National Center for University Works CNOU has launched the first edition of Miss CNOU – Natural Beauty 2026, a competition for Gabonese female students. The initiative, led by CNOU Director General Syrielle-Zora Nzigou, aims to promote self-acceptance, value intellect and culture, and raise awareness against skin bleaching, a growing concern in university environments. Unlike traditional beauty pageants, this competition requires candidates to present themselves without makeup, wigs, false nails, or other aesthetic enhancements, emphasizing natural beauty. The CNOU Director General stated that the competition seeks to highlight the intellect and natural beauty of Gabon's female students, with a primary goal of combating skin bleaching, which she describes as a social scourge. She noted that this practice, facilitated by access to lightening products, exposes users to health risks and can impact academic performance. Selection criteria prioritize personality and intellectual abilities, with natural beauty and originality accounting for 30% of the final score, general knowledge and intellect for 20%, oral expression and eloquence for 15%, and social projects for students also for 15%. Cultural and traditional performances represent 10%, while elegance, presentation, behavior, and discipline complete the evaluation. Registrations began on June 2 and concluded on June 9, 2026. Pre-selections will take place from June 10 to June 30 in universities and higher education institut
Must ReadOne year after Gabon terminated its Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement with the European Union, both parties are seeking common ground. During a Partnership Dialogue in Libreville on June 8, 2026, Gabon and the EU engaged in discussions about the future of their fisheries cooperation, aiming for mutually beneficial solutions. The Gabonese government, through its spokesperson Professor Charles Edgar Mombo, stated that clarifications were provided to achieve mutually beneficial solutions in sustainable fishing. Gabon had initiated the unilateral denunciation of the agreement in June 2025, citing that the existing partnership no longer met its economic and industrial ambitions. Libreville had previously criticized insufficient financial compensation for catches in its waters and high surveillance costs. Gabon also expressed concerns about the limited involvement of European partners in developing a local fish processing industry, arguing that the agreement yielded low added value, job creation, and skills transfer. Beyond economic factors, the termination was part of a broader strategy to strengthen national sovereignty over fisheries resources, aiming for greater control over marine resource exploitation and fostering a competitive national fishing sector. The agreement, renewed in 2021 for five years and set to expire in 2026, primarily granted tuna fishing opportunities to European vessels in Gabonese waters. While no concrete announcements were made after the recent
Must ReadGabon is tightening control over all activities related to Iboga, a strategic national heritage. The Ministry of Youth, Sports, Cultural Outreach and Arts, responsible for Associative Life, announced on June 8, 2026, that all activities involving this plant and its associated traditional knowledge now require prior authorization from the Ministry of Culture. This measure follows a decree issued on May 22, 2026, which regulates the access, use, exploitation, research, processing, and commercialization of Iboga and its derivatives. According to Minister Paul Ulrich Kessany, authorization will only be granted after a favorable opinion from a newly established interministerial technical commission. The new regulations apply to all individuals and legal entities, both Gabonese and foreign, involved in the Iboga sector. It also covers activities conducted outside Gabon that involve Iboga or its associated traditional Gabonese knowledge. This initiative aims to protect the resource from uncontrolled exploitation and the appropriation of ancestral knowledge without compensation for the communities holding this knowledge. Iboga, considered a sacred plant in several Gabonese spiritual traditions, particularly the Bwiti rite, has garnered increasing international interest for its cultural uses and scientific research into its properties. The government intends to exercise stricter control over the entire Iboga value chain, from access to commercialization, including research and process