O n November 13, 2025, Mbigou Stone was recognized as a product with a Geographical Indication (GI) by the National Committee for Geographical Indications (CNIG), a major breakthrough for Gabonese craftsmanship. This step opens the way for a future inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list. However, it also reveals the urgent need for a global strategy to promote other tangible and intangible elements that are still insufficiently visible internationally. Authorities are being challenged on training, the resources allocated to cultural institutions, and the management of the inscription procedures.

The official recognition of Mbigou Stone as a product with a Geographical Indication constitutes a turning point for Gabonese craftsmanship. This noble material, worked for generations by sculptors in the South of the country, now becomes a protected symbol, conveying identity and economic value. The process, supported by OGAPI, COOPAM, and regional organizations like OAPI, marks an increased professionalization of the sector. For artisans, this distinction opens up prospects for new markets and better protection against counterfeiting, which often weakens local industries.

For the government, this recognition also represents a diplomatic and cultural tool. The Ministry of Sustainable Tourism and Craftsmanship hailed it as a decisive step towards the future inscription of Mbigou Stone on the UNESCO World Heritage list — an objective that is now credible. This ambition is part of a context where Gabon seeks to diversify its international image, long dominated by oil rent. The valorization of heritage thus appears as a major lever for tourism development and cultural influence.

However, this success highlights a broader reality: numerous elements of Gabonese tangible and intangible heritage remain insufficiently valued. Traditional dances, vernacular know-how, communal rites, vernacular architectures, ritual objects, sacred forests — all these riches, due to a lack of documentation, training, or adapted policies, remain in the shadows. Professionals in the sector recall that inscription on the World Heritage list requires complex applications, trained teams, and rigorous institutional monitoring. Yet, the current resources of the concerned ministries and cultural structures remain limited.

The issue of training thus appears central. The National School of Art and Manufacture (ENAM), heir to essential pedagogical knowledge, struggles to fully fulfill its mission due to a lack of modernization and resources. Strengthening this institution, both in equipment and technical supervision, constitutes an indispensable step for the sustainable structuring of the art trades. An increase in competence will not only allow for the preservation of traditional know-how but also for innovation, documentation, and the submission of solid applications to UNESCO.

Beyond Mbigou Stone, this momentum must become a national strategy. The State is expected to implement sustainable mechanisms: dedicated budgets, technical units for assembling UNESCO applications, partnerships with universities, updated heritage inventories, and increased involvement of local communities. By placing transparency, training, and valorization at the heart of its policies, Gabon can transform an artisanal success into a true national cultural project. Mbigou Stone opens the way; it is now up to the authorities to transform it into a sustainable dynamic.