NAIROBI – Vice President Lucia Witbooi arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday to lead Namibia’s delegation to the Africa Forward Summit opening today, where African leaders, investors, development partners and the President of France will discuss how to strengthen investment, innovation, and economic cooperation to drive Africa’s future growth.
The high-level summit, held under the theme “Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth,” is expected to focus on infrastructure financing, renewable energy, industrialisation, digital transformation, food security and youth empowerment as African countries seek stronger and more balanced partnerships with global partners.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Witbooi said Namibia is using the gathering not only for diplomatic engagement, but also to attract investment and create opportunities for African businesses to build partnerships that can stimulate development across the continent.
“Our other development partners and investors will take part in the summit and will have an opportunity to interact on how we can take, as leaders, as African leaders, Africa forward,” she said.
The Vice President said Namibia’s focus is to secure partnerships that support industrialisation and value addition rather than dependence on raw material exports.
The Vice President continued, “And of course, we also take opportunities for our businesspeople to network and have discussions around developments and how we can attract investors and bring them here.”
Her remarks place economic diplomacy and investment promotion at the centre of Namibia’s participation in the summit, which has drawn leaders from across Africa as well as international financial institutions, private sector representatives and policy experts.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah delegated Witbooi to represent Namibia at the summit, which is co-hosted by Kenya and France with the endorsement of the African Union.
In a media statement issued by Presidential Press Secretary Jonas Mbambo, the Presidency said the summit seeks to move beyond traditional donor-recipient dynamics and instead build partnerships based on equality, mutual respect and shared prosperity.
“The summit seeks to move beyond traditional donor-recipient dynamics by fostering a more balanced, equitable, and forward-looking partnership rooted in mutual respect, shared prosperity, and Africa’s growing strategic agency on the global stage,” the statement read.
The Presidency said deliberations at the summit will focus on key areas critical to Africa’s long-term development, including innovation and technology, climate resilience, renewable energy, infrastructure development and sustainable economic growth.
For Namibia, according to Mbambo, government sees the summit as an important opportunity to promote investment and strengthen bilateral and multilateral partnerships in line with Vision 2030 and the Sixth National Development Plan.
“The summit presents an important opportunity to strengthen bilateral and multilateral partnerships, promote investment and economic cooperation, and advance the country’s development priorities,” the Presidency said.
The statement added that Namibia hopes to use the summit to engage international partners on issues linked to energy transition, green industrialisation, and innovation-driven growth.
The summit is also expected to provide African leaders with a platform to push for reforms in global financial systems that many developing nations believe do not fairly address Africa’s economic realities and development needs.
Witbooi is expected to participate in a series of high-level engagements and strategic meetings on the margins of the summit aimed at enhancing cooperation and positioning Namibia as a reliable and forward-looking partner in the international community.
The Presidency said the participation of international investors and private sector leaders is expected to create opportunities for networking and business discussions in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and technology.
Witbooi is expected to return to Namibia on Wednesday after concluding Namibia’s engagements at the summit.
– ljason@nepc.com.na