Gabon moves to ban iboga exports amid growing US interest

Ekonominin Sesi - International (English) · Oct 18, 2026 · 1m

Gabon’s cabinet has approved a proposed decree that would ban the export of iboga and all its byproducts, in every form. The administration states the initiative aims to safeguard the plant and the traditional knowledge tied to it. This decision comes after a May decree acknowledged the indigenous knowledge related to iboga as part of the country’s heritage, mandating profit-sharing for any commercial exploitation and establishing a sovereign fund partially supported by royalties and benefit-sharing deals. Additionally, patent requests involving iboga must reveal where the product originates…