Development Partners Look Beyond Aid to Unlock Private Capital

Development partners are being urged to bring private-sector investors into Namibia's development financing efforts to mobilise additional capital, close funding gaps and support the implementation of national development priorities.

Delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Development Partners Forum, Executive Director of the National Planning Commission (NPC), I-Ben Nashandi, urged development partners to widen their cooperation beyond traditional financial assistance and help unlock private-sector investment amid declining Official Development Assistance (ODA) and constrained fiscal space.

“It is really partnership that must extend to unlock the private sector so that the capital of the private sector can support our development,” Nashandi said.

He said private-sector financing could help fill gaps in development funding, particularly as official development assistance declines and government faces pressure on its available resources.

He added that development partners could contribute by mobilising private investment and strengthening cooperation between government and businesses.

Nashandi further stressed that development cooperation should extend beyond financing to include policy expertise, technical assistance, institutional capacity, technology transfer, research and global best practices.

He identified youth employment, entrepreneurship and digital innovation as areas where stronger investment and support were needed, while urging improved access to finance, business development services and reduced regulatory barriers for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Meanwhile, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Hopolang Phororo, emphasised the need for development partners to improve coordination and ensure that commitments translate into implementation and measurable results.

She proposed more regular engagement around selected Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) priorities, where government, development partners and other stakeholders could review programmes, identify bottlenecks, exchange evidence and coordinate support.

“The challenge before us is, therefore, not simply how to convene good discussions. It is how to ensure that the ideas, partnerships, and commitments generated through these discussions continue beyond the days of the Forum and contribute to implementation and results,” Phororo said.

Phororo reaffirmed the United Nations' readiness to support the process through its convening role, knowledge sharing and efforts to align collective resources with Namibia's national development priorities.

The Forum was held under the theme Harnessing Emerging Economic Opportunities for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth.