Namibia and the European Union have agreed to strengthen cooperation on green value chains, critical raw materials and industrial diversification, as both sides seek to reduce reliance on raw commodity exports and expand local processing industries.
The announcement came at the conclusion of the second Namibia–EU Business Forum held in Windhoek on Wednesday, where officials and investors discussed new strategies for deepening trade and investment ties, particularly in renewable energy and mineral processing.
A key outcome of the forum was a 4-million-euro project aimed at supporting lithium extraction and improving Namibia’s integration into global battery supply chains. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Geological Survey of Finland and Andrada Mining’s Uis Mine.
EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall said the project targets structural bottlenecks in the global battery industry by helping unlock lithium at commercially viable cost and quality levels.
The push reflects broader European efforts to secure stable supplies of critical minerals used in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, as well as Africa’s ambition to capture more value from its resource base through local processing.
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Namibia’s National Planning Commission Director-General Kaire Mbuende said the partnership aligns with the country’s development strategy to move beyond raw exports and build domestic capacity in sectors such as agribusiness, renewable hydrogen, manufacturing and critical minerals.
The renewed Namibia–EU Strategic Partnership roadmap, extended to 2030, is expected to expand cooperation in renewable hydrogen development, skills training, investment facilitation and local value addition.
Officials also highlighted the role of the 2016 Southern African Development Community–EU Economic Partnership Agreement in boosting trade flows and improving access for Namibian exporters to European markets.
Nditah Nghipondoka-Robiati said the agreement has helped integrate Namibian firms into global value chains, while EU Ambassador to Namibia Ana Beatriz Martins said it has improved confidence among local businesses exporting to Europe.
The forum comes as the EU intensifies efforts to diversify supply chains for critical raw materials, particularly those used in clean energy technologies, amid growing global competition for minerals such as lithium, cobalt and rare earths.
At the same time, African countries are increasingly seeking to shift from exporting raw materials to building domestic processing industries that can generate higher revenues, create jobs and strengthen industrial capacity.
Namibia, one of southern Africa’s emerging mining and renewable energy hubs, has positioned itself as a potential supplier of green hydrogen and battery minerals, supported by its vast solar and wind energy potential.
Analysts say such partnerships could help accelerate industrial diversification in resource-rich African economies, but warn that success will depend on infrastructure investment, regulatory stability and access to affordable financing.
The EU’s renewed engagement with Namibia forms part of a broader strategy to secure cleaner, more resilient supply chains while supporting development goals in partner countries through investment and technology transfer.
