Gabon has taken a further step in regulating its biodiversity. From now on, the exploitation and commercialisation of iboga, a Central African endemic plant with psychotropic and therapeutic properties, require strict authorisation from the authorities. Libreville is thus tightening access to an emblematic resource that has long been harvested without a rigorous framework, and whose global economic value has steadily increased over the past decade.

Strategic resource brought back under state control

The Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub from Gabon’s equatorial forest, holds a unique place in the nation’s heritage. It is a cornerstone of the Bwiti initiation rite and is also studied by international biomedical research for its applications in treating opioid and cocaine addiction. This dual cultural and pharmacological dimension has fuelled the appetite of foreign operators, sometimes resulting in unregulated exploitation of wild stands.

In response, the Gabonese government now makes any activity related to iboga — whether harvesting, processing, selling or exporting — conditional on obtaining prior administrative approval. This measure continues the protection policies adopted since the plant was classified as national cultural heritage in 2000. Concretely, no commercial operation can be undertaken without validation from the competent services, under penalty of sanctions.

Biological sovereignty and the fight against biopiracy

The decision addresses a long-standing concern of Gabonese authorities and civil society: the capture of benefits from the plant by foreign actors without returns for local communities or the state. Several European and North American clinics have for years offered high-priced treatments based on ibogaine, the alkaloid extracted from the root. Yet the raw material comes mainly from Gabonese forests, where wild harvesting threatens the species’ survival.

By toughening the legal framework, Libreville can track flows, set quotas, and eventually negotiate access and benefit-sharing contracts in line with the Nagoya Protocol, to which Gabon is a party. This approach mirrors that of other Congo Basin states keen to protect their genetic resources. The challenge remains to scale up field monitoring capacity in a vast, hard-to-reach forest area where non-timber forest product smuggling is a documented reality.

Building an industry between tradition and industry

Beyond enforcement, the new framework paves the way for structuring a genuine national sector. Interested parties — traditional healers, village cooperatives, or industrialists — must follow a clearly defined administrative process. The country faces a dual challenge: preserving natural stands, whose regeneration is slow, while capturing the added value of a plant sought by global pharmaceutical research.

Several operational questions remain open. What eligibility criteria will apply for authorisations? Which ministry will oversee application processing? What role will communities holding traditional knowledge related to Bwiti play? The credibility of the system will largely depend on transparent procedures and the administration’s ability to balance economic interests with conservation imperatives.

For international investors and partners, the message is clear: iboga is no longer a freely accessible resource. Gabon, which has in recent years multiplied initiatives to enhance its natural capital — from carbon credits to forest certification — is adding a new building block to its ecological sovereignty strategy. The reform’s success will be measured by the human and technical resources that Gabon’s transition devotes to its implementation. The new authorisation regime is now in effect.