• Gabon launched Missamou, its first 24/7 government chatbot, via Facebook Messenger
• It uses NLP to provide real-time access to services and official information
• Part of a broader digital strategy, following regional AI initiatives like Benin’s GPT-BJ

Gabon announced on Tuesday, July 15, the launch of Missamou, a new virtual assistant available through Facebook Messenger. Billed as the country’s first chatbot dedicated to government communication, Missamou allows citizens to ask questions, check official news, access public services, and obtain information on administrative procedures. This service is available in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Missamou is built on natural language processing, or NLP, technologies. It is designed to understand queries phrased in everyday language and provide instant responses from official databases. This approach aims to streamline interactions with the administration while reducing the workload on traditional channels like call centers and physical service counters.

The rollout of Missamou is part of a wider digital transformation strategy for Gabon's public administration. This strategy emphasizes transparency, open data, and digital inclusion. By choosing Facebook Messenger, a widely used platform, the government seeks broad adoption, particularly among young people who represent the majority of social media users in Gabon.

Through Missamou, Gabon aims to strengthen the dissemination of institutional information, simplify access to public services, and boost civic engagement. This initiative aligns with a broader regional trend. In 2023, Benin launched GPT-BJ, a more advanced conversational assistant. GPT-BJ was designed to answer complex questions about key legal texts, including the General Tax Code, Labor Code, Digital Code, and Penal Code. Developed by the Agency for Information Systems and Digital, or ASIN, GPT-BJ was praised as an innovative tool for legal access and a support for good governance.

Gabon is following these promising initiatives, exploring artificial intelligence's potential for a more connected, proactive, and user-centered approach to governance.

Samira Njoya