International conference on iboga and ibogaine in Libreville

Gabon asserts its scientific, cultural and economic sovereignty

Libreville, January 12–13, 2026. The Libreville International Conference on Iboga and Ibogaine, held at the Hôtel La Sablière, marked a strategic turning point for Gabon. For two days, public authorities, national and international researchers, traditional medicine practitioners, spiritual leaders, and economic operators engaged in a structured dialogue around a shared ambition: to make iboga a lever for sustainable, ethical, and sovereign development.

An endemic and sacred plant, intimately linked to Bwiti traditions, iboga is currently attracting increasing scientific interest, particularly for its alkaloid, ibogaine. Faced with this global attention, the conference posed a central question: how to protect, structure, and promote this resource without stripping it of its meaning or its territory of origin.

Gabon Terre d'Avenir, an NGO committed to structuring the iboga sector

As a member of the Bloc of Operators in the Iboga Sector (BOIS) , the NGO Gabon Terre d'Avenir (GTA) co-participated in the development of this conference. This involvement reflects a strong conviction: the future of iboga cannot be built without collective governance that includes institutions, traditional communities, researchers, and entrepreneurs.

Through its participation, GTA championed an integrated approach to the iboga sector, linking ecological preservation, economic development, and knowledge transfer. This vision aligns perfectly with the summit's objectives: to position Gabon as an international leader in iboga and ibogaine, while ensuring the protection of the resource and local knowledge.

Bwiti, youth and development: a powerful message delivered by Yvon Moussirou

During the panel discussion on the role of Bwiti in the development of the iboga sector, Mr. Yvon Moussirou , the new president of the NGO Gabon Terre d'Avenir, emphasized that Bwiti is not solely a spiritual practice. It also provides an ethical and social framework capable of guiding contemporary economic choices related to iboga.

His intervention highlighted a central issue: the involvement of Gabonese youth. According to GTA, training, empowering, and integrating young people into discussions and projects surrounding iboga is an essential condition for building a sustainable, locally rooted, and future-oriented sector.

Scientific research, economics and ecology at the heart of the debates

The conference program illustrated the complexity and cross-cutting nature of the issues related to iboga. From Gabonese public policies to international therapeutic frameworks, from scientific research conducted in Gabon and the United States to the problems of illicit trade and trafficking, each session highlighted the need for clear and concerted regulation.

Discussions on iboga cultivation, ecological issues and ecotourism have reminded us that economic development cannot come at the expense of forest ecosystems or the communities that are their historical guardians.

Mayay Products, responsible valorization of Gabonese iboga

This conference also provided an opportunity for Gabon Terre d'Avenir to present its Mayay products: capsules and chocolate made from iboga. Designed with respect for the plant, traditional knowledge, and health standards, these products generated significant interest among participants, including researchers, practitioners, and investors.

The positive feedback received confirms that there is international demand for iboga products, provided they are traceable, ethical and produced by committed Gabonese actors.

The legislative framework and the export of iboga: a struggle that remains relevant today.

One observation emerged throughout the discussions: without a suitable legislative framework, Gabon will remain on the sidelines of the economic development of its own resource. Gabon Terre d'Avenir continues to advocate for the adoption of a clear legal framework enabling the regulated export of iboga-derived products.

The objective is twofold: to combat informal circuits and illicit trafficking, while enabling structured local initiatives to create value, employment and sustainable income for the benefit of Gabonese communities and youth.

Iboga and ibogaine: a future to be built from Gabon

The Libreville International Conference on Iboga and Ibogaine is not intended to close the debate. It has laid the groundwork. By bringing together modern science, ancestral heritage, and economic perspectives, it has reaffirmed a fundamental truth: iboga is not an ordinary resource. It represents memory, knowledge, and a collective responsibility.

In Libreville, Gabon affirmed its desire to take control of its destiny, by building a development model where iboga remains a source of dignity, care and future, for the country and for the world.