• The scope of future digital cooperation with Turkey is yet to be defined.

• Gabon set four priorities: modernise public administration, expand infrastructure, secure data, train digital talent.

• Ongoing US$68.5 million World Bank project supports national digital-ID, data centre and cyber-security since January 2024.

On 29 July, Gabon’s Minister of the Digital Economy, Mark Alexandre Doumba, hosted Turkey’s Ambassador to Gabon, Can İncesu, with whom he had detailed discussions on expanding bilateral cooperation on digital sector, according to an official post on Facebook.

Doumba opened the session by outlining Gabon’s national digital roadmap, which centres on “four urgent priorities”: modernising public administration, building resilient digital infrastructure, safeguarding data governance and technological sovereignty, and equipping young Gabonese with advanced digital skills.

Ambassador İncesu responded positively, affirming Turkey’s willingness to share its experience and resources. He outlined specific collaboration areas, such as implementing e-government platforms, introducing secure electronic signatures, deploying remote-payment solutions for public services, and making targeted investments in telecommunications networks to serve underserved rural communities.

Turkey’s own credentials strengthen its offer of support. It ranks 27th among 193 countries on the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), with an overall score of 0.8913, well above the global average of 0.6382. Its strengths are especially notable in online services (0.9225), human capital (0.9192), and telecom infrastructure (0.8322). According to the International Telecommunication Union, in 2024, Turkey achieved 87.3% internet penetration and 96% mobile coverage, and it scored 88.5 out of 100 on the 2025 ICT Development Index.

Gabon ranks 121st on the EGDI with an overall score of 0.5741. The country has a relatively strong telecom infrastructure (0.8263), but it still underperforms in online services (0.3188) and human-capital development (0.5772). Despite these shortcomings, Libreville’s government remains ambitious: they plan to increase the digital sector’s contribution to GDP from around 5% to between 10% and 12% by 2025, aiming to diversify an economy traditionally reliant on oil and mineral extraction.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to move forward, though no formal agreement has yet been signed. Both sides agreed to intensify technical exchanges in the coming weeks to identify high-impact projects that can deliver tangible benefits to Gabonese citizens.

Gabon's new government’s push to become a regional digital leader has already taken shape through multilateral finance. In January 2024, the World Bank and Libreville signed a US$68.5 million loan agreement for the “Digital Gabon Project,” an initiative designed to accelerate the uptake of digital public services and give every resident a secure, unique digital identity that can unlock health insurance, social protection, and public procurement platforms.

Beyond finance, the programme is strengthening the legal and regulatory pillars of cyber-security, data-protection and secure data exchange inside the public sector, while also modernising the civil-registration system and building an ultra-modern national data centre. Turkey’s footprint in Gabon, meanwhile, is both longer-running and widening. Since 2000, the two capitals have operated under a general economic and technical cooperation agreements.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum