
Representatives from JFD Join Forces & Dare and Gabon's Minister of State for National Education, Camélia Ntoutoume-Leclercq, met with French Minister Aurore Bergé in Paris on April 14, 2026. The strategic meeting, held alongside the Margaret Awards 2026, focused on women's leadership in technology and advocated for increased support for European artificial intelligence startups. The event, hosted at the French Ministry of Equality, included institutional and economic stakeholders promoting diversity and technological innovation, as well as a "Breakfast for Equality" where JFD founder and CEO Delphine Remy-Boutang presented the three Margaret Awards 2026 laureates. The 2026 awards, themed "United by Tech," recognized three prominent women in AI: Roxane Laigle, co-founder of Lemrock AI, in the entrepreneur category; Juliette Mattioli, VP AI Fellow at Thales, as an intrapreneur; and Koralie Theresine, junior laureate, for her DigiTwin project. Organizers emphasized the strategic importance of diversity in technology, with Delphine Remy-Boutang stating it is an imperative for competitiveness, growth, and sovereignty. The meeting also called on the European private sector to increase innovative purchases from AI startups to 9% within two years. The three laureates will join the JFD acceleration program, which is endowed with one million euros. Camélia Ntoutoume-Leclercq's participation highlights Gabon's commitment to international digital and gender equality initiatives, strengt
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The Gabonese government, through the Ministry of Digital Economy, Digitalization, and Innovation, in partnership with the Federation of Gabonese Enterprises FEG, officially launched Kimba Connect on July 14, 2026. This platform is Gabon's first national Open Innovation challenge, aiming to connect businesses with startups to develop digital solutions tailored to the Gabonese market and boost national economic competitiveness. The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between companies facing digital transformation challenges and Gabonese startups offering innovative solutions. Minister of Digital Economy, Mark-Alexandre Doumba, stated that Kimba Connect creates a meeting point for these entities, making innovation a lever for competitiveness and a driver of economic growth. The government intends to foster local technological entrepreneurship and cultivate national champions to modernize the Gabonese economic landscape. Yves Benoit Andecko, coordinator of Kimba Connect, highlighted that this public-private partnership will connect startups with large enterprises, encouraging businesses to trust and challenge startups with their digitalization needs. This dynamic is expected to open a market for 150 to 200 Gabonese startups. The initiative addresses challenges such as digitalization of services, cybersecurity, data management, customer experience improvement, and AI integration. Kimba Connect will provide a structured framework for open innovation and cooperation, with selected s

Gabon's government, led by Vice President Hermann Immongault, has outlined a clear roadmap for the 2027 finance bill, emphasizing increased budgetary discipline to restore macroeconomic stability while safeguarding social safety nets for the most vulnerable. During the opening of budget conferences on July 14 in Libreville, Immongault stressed the need to balance fiscal rigor with social justice, aligning with President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema's directives. The government aims to consolidate public finances without compromising social gains, making the preservation of social safety nets an unchangeable principle for the 2027-2029 budget. This includes securing funds for emergency allocations, access to drinking water and electricity, and social justice policies. Ministries are directed to focus budget proposals on concrete actions for youth employability and support for vulnerable households. Immongault reiterated that financial consolidation must not weaken exposed populations. This social priority is coupled with stricter public management. All credit requests must be exhaustively justified from the initial stages, categorized as "First necessity," "Ongoing," and "New measures." Public investments will also face stricter oversight, with no major project included in the 2027 budget without feasibility studies and proven technical maturity. The government also plans to strengthen public resource mobilization by addressing extra-budgetary management mechanisms. Immongault

On July 13, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme UNDP, Rokya Ye-Dieng, and Gabon's Minister of Justice, Augustin Emane, held a working session to review progress on the joint program "Promoting an accountable, effective, and inclusive justice sector in Gabon," supported by the Japanese government. Discussions focused on the modernization of Gabon's judicial system, including the construction of an annex for the National School of Magistracy ENM, which is now expected to be delivered on November 26, 2026. This infrastructure is a key component of the justice reform program, which centers on three main areas: digitalization of judicial procedures, strengthening infrastructure, and developing the skills of justice professionals. The goal is to create a more efficient, accessible, and contemporary justice system in Gabon, notably through the digitization of the criminal chain, electronic management of judicial acts, and the establishment of an integrated digital system to bring justice closer to citizens. The officials also discussed ensuring the sustainability of current investments, including the possibility of drilling a well to supply water to the future ENM building. They also emphasized the need for increased technical support from international partners for revising procedural codes and proposed forming a working group with all Ministry of Justice partners to pool expertise and resources. This meeting reaffirmed the commitment of the Gabo