• Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon deepen social security cooperation at CAP 2030 launch

• Pension funds stress investment role balanced with social mandate

• Partnership highlights Africa-led peer learning in social protection systems

Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon are stepping up institutional cooperation in the social security sector, with the partnership highlighted on February 6, 2026, in Libreville during the launch of Gabon’s CAP 2030 strategy by the State Employees Pension and Family Benefits Fund (CPPF). The event brought together senior officials from both countries, including Côte d’Ivoire’s Social Security Institution, the General Retirement Fund for State Employees (IPS-CGRAE).

As an institutional partner, IPS-CGRAE took part in the ceremony, which was chaired by Gabon’s Budget Minister Marc Abeghe. Officials described the collaboration as a successful example of South-South cooperation built on experience-sharing and peer-to-peer learning between institutions facing similar challenges.

A central feature of the event was a panel on the role of social security institutions in national development, co-hosted by the director general of IPS-CGRAE. Discussions focused on the growing responsibility of pension funds as institutional investors and the need to balance financial performance with their social mandate.

Speaking at the event, the director general of IPS-CGRAE stressed that institutional investment only has value if it directly benefits policyholders. “The ultimate purpose of a social security fund acting as a national investor is to serve its policyholders, who are its only real judges,” he said. The objective, he added, is to ensure the long-term security of pension payments, reliable access to benefits and continuous improvements in service delivery, key conditions for a dignified and secure retirement.

On the Gabonese side, CPPF said its CAP 2030 strategy is designed to place policyholders and the dignity of retirees at the center of public action. The roadmap is built around service modernization, stronger governance and responsible management focused on social impact. According to the director general of CPPF, benchmarking missions conducted with African partner institutions, including IPS-CGRAE, played a key role in shaping the strategy.

Beyond the event itself, the partnership reflects the growing importance of pragmatic, Africa-led cooperation in the field of social protection. By prioritizing mutual learning and respect for national contexts, IPS-CGRAE and CPPF aim to strengthen their systems over the long term as demographic, economic and social pressures continue to weigh on social security funds across the continent.