By: Dwight Links
Months after the timeframe of the Harambee Prosperity Plan 2 (HPP2) lapsed in 2025, and the advent of the sixth National Development Plan (NDP 6) in July 2025, Namibia still seeks to find an applicable template for transparency and accountability measures around its extractive industries such as mining, fishing, and renewables.
In an engagement with stakeholders, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and representatives from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) held discussions on the benefits of joining the non-governmental initiative.
The question of what joining the EITI would mean for Namibia arose during said discussions, as President Netumbo Nandi‐Ndaitwah has repeatedly stated her administration’s commitment to tackling corruption, strengthening transparency, and instating accountability measures.
IPPR’s executive director, Graham Hopwood, explained that they have been advocating for this template’s adoption in the nation. “It (EITI) gained momentum in 2021 when HPP2 was launched. This policy document did mention that joining the EITI was a recommendation,” Hopwood highlighted.
The HPP2 document held this recommendation under the Effective Governance pillar of the document, stating “Subscribing to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and/or review applicable laws governing the extractive industries including Fisheries and Forestry to improve transparency and deepen public trust” as a recommendation.
This was mentioned as a method for Namibia to improve its anti-corruption efforts under the development and implementation of the second National Anti-Corruption Strategy & Action Plan (2021–2025).
“Unfortunately, at the end of 2025, we (Namibia) had not joined the EITI nor had we introduced any major reforms on transparency and accountability. However, this does not mean things did not happen,” Hopwood outlined on the past year’s developments.
Lost Plans
Hopwood explained that during the HPP2 period, the Ministry of Mines was commissioned to look into the options for joining the EITI framework.
“This also meant that Namibia was considering the implementation of the EITI framework. This was a Cabinet decision that asked the ministry at the time to look into this development,” Hopwood added.
At the time, the team of specialists conducting consultations for the ministry included academics from NUST and UNAM.
“The work on the possibility of joining in the EITI was completed in late 2023, however, the report they wrote was never released,” he added.
The 2022 Africa Peer Review Mechanism Country report on Namibia read that there are potential benefits for joining the global framework.
“The delay in signing up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative is also limiting Namibia’s opportunities to maximise benefits from its natural resources,” the report noted back then.
This further expanded on the aspect of transparent utilisation of resources and value chain development as a means to improve national benefits, with the report further indicating that there is “Limited transparency across the mining value chain, including licencing, controls and verification, taxation, etc.”
The report added that failing to sign up for EITI was “a missed opportunity for the country,” reiterating Namibia’s plans to implement these plans by the end of 2025.
There are African peers from which Namibia can leverage in terms of looking into what the EITI framework provides for the country as whole. These include Angola, Madagascar, Liberia, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Malawi, to mention but a few.
