• System to enable tree-level traceability from forest to export
• Reform targets data gaps, fraud risks, and weak sector oversight

Gabon's government announced Thursday the creation of a national digital data center to ensure end-to-end traceability of logs from forest to export.

The announcement was made by Water and Forests Minister Maurice Ntossui Allogo during a briefing on efforts to modernize the timber sector and strengthen monitoring of natural resources.

The system will be based on digitizing and centralizing forestry data. It will allow authorities to track individual trees from the forest management stage, including GPS tagging before felling, measurement of harvested volumes, and monitoring of timber sent to processing plants, processed and exported. It will also standardize data across government agencies, including Water and Forests services and Customs.

The initiative comes amid inconsistencies in sector data. Ministry data show that 1.5 million cubic meters of logs generated more than 42 billion CFA francs ($73.5 million) in 2024, compared with more than 3 million cubic meters in 2025 that generated only 31 billion CFA francs. Authorities said the gaps were hard to explain and pointed to weaknesses in the current monitoring system.

Officials said the digital center will improve transparency, strengthen data reliability, reduce fraud risks and reinforce state control over forest resources. Over time, it is expected to improve oversight of the value chain from production to export and support more sustainable resource management.

Samira Njoya