IPU steps up support for parliamentary transitions in Gabon and Niger
The IPU has increased its support for political transitions in West Africa with a series of recent engagements in Niger and Gabon aimed at bolstering parliamentary institutions.
While visiting both countries, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong emphasized the benefits of practical capacity-building, encouraging institutional stability and a renewed commitment to democratic dialogue.
In Niger, the IPU joined forces with the country’s transitional legislative body, the Advisory Council for the Refoundation, to run a two-day induction workshop in Niamey, designed to familiarize members with the core functions of a modern parliament.
The workshop, held on 4 and 5 December 2025, formed part of Niger’s wider “Refoundation” agenda, which seeks to rebuild State institutions on more transparent and accountable foundations.
Speaker of the Advisory Council, Dr Mamoudou Harouna Djingarey told participants that the training could not remain a purely academic exercise, urging them to use the theoretical knowledge gained to draft laws and engage in constructive debate to serve the public interest.
Niger officially regained its seat at the IPU in October 2025 at the 151st IPU Assembly after having its rights suspended earlier in the year due to the absence of a functioning legislature, in line with the Organization’s rules on membership.
Further south, in Gabon, the newly elected National Assembly Speaker Michel Régis Onanga Mamadou Ndiaye, alongside other members of the National Assembly leadership, received Martin Chungong on 8 December 2025 for a meeting aimed at consolidating relations between Gabon and the IPU.
The visit took place in the context of Gabon’s political transition after a coup d’état in 2023 and the normalization of its institutions, culminating in a fully functional National Assembly in October with support from the IPU.
Martin Chungong reaffirmed the IPU’s readiness to support the Gabonese Parliament in welcoming new members, capacity-building, and institutional assistance. He also commended Gabon’s renewed commitment to parliamentary dialogue and multilateral cooperation.
In recognition of the IPU’s support to the restoration of the constitutional order, Speaker Ndiaye decorated the IPU Secretary General with a medal of honour.
Gabon Speaker Michel Régis Onanga M. Ndiaye received Martin Chungong on 8 December 2025.
