The Namibian government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) yesterday launched a N$28.5 billion partnership designed to overhaul national infrastructure and break the country’s dependence on the mining sector. 

The 2025-2030 Country Strategy Paper, launched in Windhoek, serves as a five-year financial engine for Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6). 

In a keynote address read on her behalf by Deputy Executive Director Justus Mwafongwe, Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah revealed that the strategy is a direct response to global shocks and commodity volatility that have previously hindered Namibia’s growth. 

“We are moving toward labour-intensive ‘engines of growth.’ Our focus is on diversifying the economy to ensure that Namibia is no longer vulnerable to the highs and lows of a single industry,” Shafudah stated. 

The strategy allocates N$28.5 billion (US$1.78 billion) across two main pillars.The first pillar focuses on infrastructure, specifically climate-resilient energy, integrated water management, and the upgrading of transport and logistics corridors to transform Namibia into a southern African hub. 

The second pillar targets human capital, with a specific focus on technical and vocational education (TVET) to address the “alarmingly high” youth unemployment rate. 

AfDB Deputy Director General for Southern Africa, Moono Mupotola, confirmed that the financing includes a US$1.5 billion lending window, complemented by US$120 million in blended finance and US$80 million in grants for technical assistance. 

“This is a significant scale-up of our engagement,” Mupotola said. “The real work now begins in identifying and designing operations that deliver tangible results for the lives of Namibians,” she said. 

Addressing the seven-page policy roadmap, Shafudah noted that for the strategy to succeed, the government must fix internal bottlenecks. 

She committed the ministry to rigorous public financial management and procurement reforms to ensure project execution keeps pace with the African bank’s funding. 

“Development impact is not measured by approvals, but by delivery,” the minister concluded. 

The bank’s portfolio in Namibia currently stands at over US$600 million, with the new strategy set to triple that commitment over the next half-decade. 

-Nampa