Poncelet Ileleji is a Computer Scientist with over 25 years of experience, dedicated to leveraging ICT for sustainable development. As the Lead and CEO of Jokkolabs Banjul in The Gambia, part of the Jokkolabs global network, Poncelet drives initiatives in ICT for development, digital learning, education, Internet governance, and health informatics. He also founded and directs the YMCA Computer Training Centre and Digital Studio, established in 1996.
Poncelet previously served as International Coordinator for the YMCA of New York's International Camp Counselor Program and led the World Links Project in The Gambia from 2001 to 2005. Funded by the World Bank, this project promoted student-centered, project-based learning through ICT.
A founding member and former president (2010–2014) of the Information Technology Association of the Gambia, Poncelet remains active in the Association for Progressive Communication. He currently represents The Gambia at the West African Internet Governance Forum and has served on the board of the Africa ICT Alliance. Poncelet also participates in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), where he served as Policy Chair for the Non-Profit Operational Constituency and contributes to various ICANN working groups.
Beyond these roles, Poncelet actively supports global initiatives, including the Freedom Online Coalition’s Privacy and Transparency Working Group. He represents Jokkolabs Banjul in the International Open Data Charter and leads partnerships with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. From 2018 to 2021, he sat on the board of Net Freedom Pioneers, a U.S.-based non-profit.
Poncelet Ileleji engages with the pan-African Afrilabs network and the Global Entrepreneurship Network and recently consulted for the UNDP Crisis Bureau and the World Bank. He also lectures at the Business University of Dakar, Senegal, and currently directs the Innovation POD at the University of Juba in South Sudan—a UNDP Africa Bureau initiative fostering innovation among students, faculty, and local communities.