UNCDF in Gabon
West and Central Africa and the Caribbean Region
Investment grants
Our work
In Gabon, the United Nations Capital Development Fund is working closely with ministries and government agencies, regulatory bodies, 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 $ 18.2 million 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 worked closely with women and youth-led micro, small and medium-sized underserved entrepreneurs and is supporting key initiatives to make the economy less dependent on oil exports and extractive industries.
Promoting financial inclusion through innovation
Within 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, some 2,200 distribution and deposit points are owned or managed by persons under 35 years old. CLIKPAY is leading the way among payment service providers and boosting the digitization of merchant payments, for example with the use of QR codes, which is critical for interoperability and digital financial inclusion across the CEMAC zone. As of December 2025, more than 7,400 clients have actively used CLIKPAY Money of which over 3,100 women and 4,500 users under 35 years old.
Fostering entrepreneurship and MSME access to finance
The DFS4Res Programme provided grant-based 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 aims to reach 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.
Pro-Congo: Driving Sustainable Development and Forest Conservation in Gabon
The Pro-Congo project, co-led by UNCDF and UN Environment Programme with funding from the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), is a groundbreaking initiative designed to protect the tropical rainforest of Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo, while promoting economic growth. Gabon has succeeded in protecting its forest with 85% of its surface covered by forest, faces threats from unsustainable agriculture, human-wildlife conflict, and weak governance. Pro-Congo is therefore a crucial project to the country as it focuses on mobilizing private sector finance to support nature-positive enterprises, particularly MSMEs in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, forestry, and ecotourism. By offering tailored blended finance and technical assistance, the project empowers businesses to enhance deforestation-free practices, strengthen ESG compliance, while creating jobs and fostering inclusive growth for women, youth, and local communities.
Through strategic partnerships and innovative financing, Pro-Congo is helping Gabon transition toward a thriving, nature-positive economy, ensuring that economic development, forest and biodiversity conservation advance together for a sustainable future.
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 asked 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 project 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.
