Challenges identified during bilateral talks

A series of bilateral interviews with 29 local institutions highlighted a number of major challenges:

• Limited infrastructure in the public sector, whereas the private sector has more robust solutions.
• A lack of IT and geomatics skills, hampering the development of appropriate digital solutions.
• A need to establish ‘trust’ between stakeholders before setting up a data-sharing system.
• The appointment of the Gabonese Agency for Space Studies and Observations (AGEOS) as the coordinating body, which will guarantee the project's continuity beyond OFVi.

Lack of match between training and market needs

Discussions with the University Omar Bongo (UOB) and the Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM) have highlighted the fact that training courses are insufficiently adapted to the country's needs, particularly in IT and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Recruiters deplore the technical shortcomings of young graduates, while public universities suffer from a lack of resources and overcrowded classrooms.

Stronger links between universities and employers are needed to bridge the gap between the training on offer and the skills in demand.

A consensus on a data-sharing strategy

At the OFVi animal biodiversity workshop (3-5 March 2025), the issue of data sharing was widely debated. An interactive survey revealed that the majority of researchers and scientists still store their data on external hard drives and their personal computers, exposing the information to the risk of loss.

A shared vision emerged: to develop a national data repository, supported by local servers in the institutions.

Feedback and recommendations: an action plan validated

On 11 March 2025, a feedback meeting was held with 17 participants, resulting in six key recommendations :

1. Create a working group on data sharing, led by AGEOS.
2. Develop a metadata catalogue to map existing data sources.
3. Evaluate technical projects already implemented (PNAT : Gabon National Land Allocation Plan, SNORNF : National Observation System for Natural Resources and Forests, CAFI : Central African Forest Initiative), to capitalise on existing initiatives.
4. Align training with market needs, in particular by training specialists in network administration and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
5. Define an infrastructure deployment plan, including several scenarios and a search for funding.
6. Develop a national data governance strategy, based on the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics) principles.

Next steps

• Early April: support from AGEOS to set up the working group.
• Mid-April - 14 May: finalisation and presentation of the École des Hautes études Commerciales (HEC) of Paris thesis report.

Conclusion: a first step towards sustainable data governance

This mission has enabled us to establish a shared diagnosis and structure a roadmap for the sharing of scientific data in Gabon. The appointment of AGEOS as the orchestra leader, unanimously approved by the public and private sector players present, marks an important step forward.

Through this initiative, Gabon is laying the foundations for a scientific data management and sharing system that is essential to the preservation of its forests and wetlands.