WINDHOEK, Nov. 28– Namibia has hosted a scoping mission by AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union body responsible for supporting development programs across the continent, to strengthen the rollout of its new agri-food sector transformation strategy, officials said Thursday.
The mission, conducted from Monday to Thursday, assessed how Namibia has aligned the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) goals with its recently launched Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-Food Sector (STAS).
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR), the engagements identified priority areas where AUDA-NEPAD can offer technical and strategic support to accelerate the implementation of STAS, which now serves as Namibia‘s national agriculture investment plan.
The mission concluded with a high-level round-table discussion that reviewed the outcomes of the bilateral meetings and considered proposals for a draft governance and coordination mechanism to guide the strategy’s execution, the ministry added.
Speaking at the event, MAFWLR Executive Director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata said the mission provided a timely opportunity to deepen Namibia‘s contribution to continental agricultural transformation efforts.
“This mission marks a pivotal milestone in our collective efforts to operationalize the commitments made under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program and to translate these commitments into tangible, transformative outcomes for our sector and our people,” she said.
The delegation held consultations with government institutions, private-sector actors, producer organizations, development partners and academia.
