UNCDF in Gabon
Our work
In Gabon, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is working closely with ministries and government agencies, the private sector and development partners to fuel economic growth and deliver on national development targets. By deploying digital financial services at scale, deepening digital financial inclusion and supporting small and medium-sized businesses as they formalize their activities, UNCDF is contributing to a resilient and diversified economy.
The Digital Finance for Resilience (DFS4Res) Programme, with funding from the European Union and implemented in partnership with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, is a key vehicle to demonstrating the link between digital finance and economic resilience. DFS4Res provides technical assistance and grants to public and private sector entities to develop an enabling policy and regulatory environment and an open digital payments ecosystem.
As part of this work, UNCDF works closely with women and youth-led micro, small and medium-sized underserved enterprises (MSMEs) to make the economy less dependent on oil exports and extractive industries.
Promoting financial inclusion through innovation
Through DFS4Res, UNCDF helped CLIKPAY Gabon, to become the first local fintech company to be licensed as a Payment Institution in the six-country Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). Benefitting from a performance-based grant, CLIKPAY created a network of nearly 5,400 cash distribution and deposit points staffed by agents and merchants. Of these small businesses, 2,200 distribution and deposit points are owned or managed by youth.
CLIKPAY is also advancing the digitization of merchant payments, including through the use of QR codes, helping strengthen interoperability and digital financial inclusion across the CEMAC region. As of December 2025, more than 7,400 clients had actively used CLIKPAY Money, including over 3,100 women and 4,500 users under the age of 35.
Fostering entrepreneurship and MSME access to finance
Through the DFS4Res Programme, UNCDF provided financial support to the Government of Gabon, via the National Investment Promotion Agency (ANPI-Gabon), contributing to Gabon’s national development and growth plan. Since its launch, more than 5,400 individual informal sector entrepreneurs - of which 1,970 are women and 1,813 youth, have received training to formalize their businesses and adopt digital payments to improve their access to finance based on their transactional data.
By the end of June 2025, over a third of the participating MSMEs had effectively formalized their income generating activities. By March 2026, the project reached more than 26,000 MSMEs adopting and using digital payments.
On the ground sensitization to encourage a woman led small business to formalize her activity. Photo: UNCDF.
Mobilizing private sector investment in sustainable enterprises in the Congo Basin
Pro-Congo is a joint initiative by UNEP and UNCDF, funded by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), that mobilizes private sector investment in sustainable enterprises across the Congo Basin, covering Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo (RoC), and Gabon.
The initiative seeks to catalyze long-term transformation by integrating nature-based solutions into the agriculture, forestry, and energy sectors. Through the deployment of concessional loans, grants, and guarantees, Pro-Congo supports micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in adopting sustainable business models that contribute to forest conservation, biodiversity protection, job creation, emissions reductions, and inclusive economic growth.
Pro-Congo invites investors, enterprises, and development partners to join forces in unlocking the economic potential of the Congo Basin’s natural capital. Pro-Congo aims to unlock the potential of the Congo’s Basin’s natural capital while safeguarding one of the world’s most critical ecosystems.
Building a more robust regulatory environment
UNCDF has helped build a more robust regulatory environment for digital financial services through the establishment of a Digital Finance Working Group (DFSWG). The group has over 50 members from the public sector, including staff from the Digital Economy, Digitalization, and Innovation Ministry, and the private sector, including heads of financial institutions, incubators and academies. The DFSWG is increasingly recognized as a platform for advocacy and dialogue between the financial regulatory authorities and digital ecosystem players in Gabon.
As a result, the Ministry of the Digital Economy, Digitalization and Innovation requested UNCDF to contribute to the drafting of Gabon's “Start-up Act”, which is expected to significantly improve the business environment and could attract private-sector investment at scale.
Workshop gathering the Digital Finance Working Group members, representatives of Ministries, the Central Bank, and the Banking Commission. Photo: UNCDF.
Harmonizing remittance and payment digitization policies
UNCDF, in partnership with the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), is implementing a regional programme aimed at harmonizing regulatory policies for money transfers and modernizing payment systems through digitalization. The project is aligned with the CEEAC’s Medium-Term Indicative Strategic Plan (PSIMT 2021-2025) and is dedicated to harmonizing regional economic and financial policies, that seek to promote faster, cheaper and more transparent remittance transfers, while strengthening financial inclusion and reducing dependence on informal channels. Through this initiative, UNCDF is supporting CEEAC member states in implementing secure digital solutions to mobilize diaspora resources for domestic investment.
Across these initiatives, UNCDF continues to deploy innovative finance solutions to drive sustainable development and economic resilience in Gabon.
Latest news and stories
Our partners
UNCDF’s work in Gabon is made possible thanks to collaboration with: the Government of Gabon, the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), the Banking Commission of Central Africa (COBAC), the Payment Institution CLIKPAY Gabon, the National Agency for Investment Promotion (ANPI-Gabon), the European Union, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (UNRCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Documents
This section brings together key documents related to UNCDF’s work in the country. It includes a curated selection of publications, papers, and reports that reflect the scope of engagement at country level, from programme design to implementation and outcomes.
These documents offer additional context on how initiatives are developed and delivered, and how partnerships contribute to advancing national priorities. They are intended to support transparency, facilitate knowledge sharing and serve as a practical resource for partners, stakeholders and others seeking a deeper understanding of UNCDF’s work.
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Contact us
For inquiries about UNCDF’s work in Gabon, including partnerships, investment opportunities, or ongoing initiatives, please contact our team at wcac.region@uncdf.org.
