Written by: Qusay Ahmed

Heading Gabon Towards a radical transformation of the timber sector, through the establishment of an advanced national data center that aims to track every tree trunk from the moment its location is determined using a GPS system within the forests, until it reaches the export stage, in a step that aims to close regulatory gaps that have long sparked controversy about the transparency of this vital sector.

The timber sector is the second largest source of export revenue in Gabon after oil and manganese, representing about 9% of total exports.

A new system for the timber industry in Gabon

This was revealed by investigations by the Environmental Investigations Agency, which showed in 2019 that illegally cut timber was being marketed in the United States through deceptive means.

However, for years this sector has been subject to widespread criticism due to the prevalence of illegal logging and corruption.

According to the global wood industry website woodcentral, the Gabonese Minister of Water and Forests, Maurice Ntoswe Alogo, announced this initiative during a government press conference, stressing that it comes within a comprehensive plan to modernize the wood industry and strengthen governance, especially in light of the difficulties the authorities have faced in interpreting sharp discrepancies in official data in recent years.

Wood Central added that the new system will transform forestry data into a central digital database linking various government agencies, primarily the Department of Water and Forests and Customs, thus eliminating the current fragmentation of records. The coordinates of trees will be recorded before they are cut, and the quantities of timber harvested and their movement through transport, processing, and even to ports will be tracked.

This trend comes after notable gaps were recorded in the data; the ministry's figures showed that about 1.5 million cubic meters of timber generated more than 42 billion CFA francs ($73.5 million) in 2024, while in the following year more than double that volume passed through the system without generating only a small fraction of the revenue, which officials described as inexplicable and reflecting a structural flaw in the control system.

The new data center is based on the National Timber Tracking System (SNTBG), which Gabon launched in October 2023 in collaboration with the Agency for Environmental Investigations and Code4Nature.

The system relies on mobile applications and digital platforms to document the timber's journey from the log to the port, despite warnings of limited independent oversight compared to other Congo Basin countries.

In a related context, EU imports of Gabonese timber fell by 18% during 2024, amid stricter European regulations that require thorough verification of timber sources.

This comes despite continued reports of raw log exports, despite a national ban imposed since 2010, highlighting the challenges that this vital sector still faces.