STAFF WRITER
Namibia has started developing a Sectoral Transformation Investment Plan to guide investment in its green industries.
National Planning Commission Director-General Kaire Mbuende said the plan will act as a practical roadmap for identifying priority investments, improving coordination, and aligning institutions.
He said this on Monday at the opening of a joint mission under the Climate Investment Funds Industry Decarbonisation Programme in Windhoek.
“This plan will help Namibia access concessional climate finance and broader development support,” he said.
Mbuende said the mission is the result of coordinated work between the Ministry of Finance, the Environmental Investment Fund, the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme, the Climate Investment Funds Secretariat, the World Bank Group, the International Finance Corporation, and the African Development Bank.
Mbuende said Namibia was selected for the programme because of its potential to contribute to global decarbonisation while advancing national development priorities.
According to him, the selection gives Namibia an opportunity to speed up investment in renewable energy, green hydrogen, green industrial value chains, and supporting infrastructure.
“The Climate Investment Funds Industry Decarbonisation Programme is important for three reasons. It can unlock concessional resources needed to address infrastructure gaps and reduce the high cost of capital that often constrains industrial development in emerging economies,” he said.
Mbuende said the success of the investment plan will depend on strong collaboration, technical analysis, and a shared commitment to Namibia’s development goals.
He said the plan must align with national priorities, respond to investment realities, and attract both public and private capital.
He added that the fund supports value chain development by linking energy generation, industrial production, logistics, infrastructure, and export development.
“As we develop the Sectoral Transformation Investment Plan, we should focus on practical issues such as identifying projects ready for implementation, selecting strategic infrastructure shared across industries, and maximising job creation, local content, participation of local enterprises, and skills development,” Mbuende said.
He said the government is prioritising ensuring that communities benefit from the green industry.
“The work undertaken so far, including consultations in the Erongo and //Kharas regions, has provided valuable insights on infrastructure readiness, local participation, environmental considerations and community expectations. These engagements have reinforced the importance of ensuring that green industrialisation is both nationally coordinated and locally inclusive,” he said.
He added that further consultations will be held in other regions to strengthen national ownership of the process.
Mbuende said the joint mission is a key opportunity to refine Namibia’s investment plan. Over the coming days, government, development partners, financiers, technical experts, the private sector, and civil society will review priorities, assess financing options, and improve implementation arrangements.
“We must also address the barriers that could prevent projects from reaching financial close. These include infrastructure constraints, regulatory readiness, grid capacity, water supply, logistics requirements, market demand, environmental safeguards and financing structures,” he said.
World Bank lead energy specialist Nadia Taobane said the joint mission is an important milestone in Namibia’s efforts to turn its green industrialisation goals into a structured and financeable investment programme.
She said Namibia has an opportunity to use its renewable energy resources, mineral base, and emerging green industrial ecosystem to build competitive low-carbon industries and enter new value chains.
She added that the programme is timely as Namibia advances its Green Industrialisation Blueprint and Sixth National Development Plan.
“In this context, the CIF Industrial Decarbonization Programme can help Namibia address these policy objectives in an integrated manner. Particularly by deploying concessional resources that can help reduce risks linked to first-of-a-kind technologies, address financing and infrastructure gaps, and mobilise private capital,” she said.
Taobane said the mission provides an opportunity to focus on practical interventions, effective implementation, and long-term sustainability. She said this includes creating conditions that can turn Namibia’s green industrialisation goals into bankable projects, inclusive growth, and measurable development results.
“We look forward to continuing our discussions throughout this mission on how concessional finance could be used strategically to mitigate risks, improve bankability, and mobilise commercial investment while contributing to green industrialisation and job creation in Namibia,” she said.
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