• Gabon signed a partnership with UNCDF to modernize digital financial services and accelerate financial inclusion.

• Mobile-money transactions reached CFA4,000 billion ($7 billion) in 2024, yet only 30% of adults hold a bank account.

• The agreement prioritizes interinstitutional coordination and technical training on e-money governance, interoperability and consumer protection.

Gabonese authorities aim to better structure the ecosystem of digital financial services. After announcing a partnership with Visa in May, the government continues its efforts with a new agreement designed to strengthen financial inclusion and sector regulation.

The Ministry of Digital Economy, Digitalization and Innovation (MENDI) announced on Monday, December 8, the signing of a partnership with the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). The collaboration seeks to reinforce the digital-finance ecosystem and support the national ambition to make digital technology a driver of state modernization and economic growth.

The initiative centers on two main priorities. The first focuses on interinstitutional dialogue to harmonize public policies, strengthen coordination between stakeholders and establish a permanent consultation framework for digital financial services. The second targets technical-capacity building through training programs for policymakers on key areas such as e-money governance, service interoperability, data protection, financial literacy and user protection.

Authorities also highlight a specific emphasis on reforms that promote competition among service providers, develop essential digital infrastructure and improve mechanisms for consumer protection.

The partnership builds on the national assessment carried out in 2024 by UNCDF. It comes as Gabon seeks to accelerate financial inclusion, which remains uneven. The country recorded more than CFA4,000 billion ($7 billion) in mobile-money transactions in 2024, along with nearly 368 million operations. Nevertheless, only 30% of adults hold a bank account, and rural populations, women and young people remain the most excluded groups.

Sector players regularly point to several obstacles, including service costs, incomplete interoperability between operators, limited financial literacy and weak user trust in digital tools.

The UNCDF intervention is expected to support reforms that modernize the ecosystem and create a more attractive environment for digital-financial-service providers. By reinforcing institutional cooperation, clarifying operational frameworks and improving infrastructure quality, authorities aim to stimulate innovation, attract new services and expand access to more reliable and affordable payment, savings and transfer solutions.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum