After wrapping up his official mission in Antananarivo, where he stood in for the president of the republic at Madagascar’s 66th independence anniversary, vice-president of the government Hermann Immongault sat down with Gabonese nationals living on the Big Island. The meeting gave the community a chance to voice their daily worries and reaffirmed Libreville’s promise to keep an open channel with its diaspora.
During the exchange, diaspora representatives laid out several hurdles faced by Gabonese in Madagascar. Topping the list was the lack of a permanent consular office, which bogs down countless administrative procedures. Issues concerning Gabonese students also came up, such as scholarship oversight, recognition of university programmes, and boosting academic exchanges. Community members further called for stronger economic ties between the two countries to spur entrepreneurship and cross-border investment.
A cooperation set to deepen
In response, Hermann Immongault pledged that every grievance would be reviewed closely by the relevant authorities. He spoke of the need to step up interaction between Libreville and Antananarivo, especially on visa matters, scholarships handled by the National Agency for Gabonese Scholarships (ANBG), and student support. The vice-president stressed the goal of building a tighter relationship with Madagascar, in line with the vision shared by both heads of state.
Turning to economic players, Immongault urged Malagasy business leaders to take advantage of opportunities in Gabon, particularly in agri-food and energy. He assured that institutional and economic exchanges between the two nations would multiply in the months ahead. This diaspora meeting fits into a broader push for engagement with Gabonese abroad and reflects the authorities’ aim to turn Libreville-Antananarivo cooperation into a development driver, benefiting both countries’ people and business communities.
