Overview
Namibia has made notable strides in aligning its national development planning with the SDGs. Its Vision 2030 and National Development Plans (NDPs) are explicitly aligned with the SDGs. The fifth National Development Plan (NDP5) (2017–2022) prioritized inclusive growth, social protection and environmental sustainability, and the forthcoming NDP6 continues this alignment. For example, Namibia’s economy rebounded from an 8% contraction in 2020 to about +4.2% growth in 2023, aided by diversifying into mining, infrastructure and emerging sectors like green hydrogen. Major investments (N$33.4 billion in 2021–23) in oil, gas and renewables underpin this recovery. The government also dramatically increased social spending – over 50% of the 2024/25 budget (N$44.3 billion) is earmarked for education, health and welfare – reflecting a strong policy push toward poverty reduction and human development. Achievements include surpassing the 90‑90‑90 HIV targets and eliminating mother‑child HIV/hepatitis transmission (earning WHO awards in May 2024), as well as high compliance (89%) with environmental management laws and world‑leading infrastructure (e.g. top-ranked road quality). On governance, Namibia ranks 8th globally on the 2022 Ibrahim Index and leads Africa in press freedom (2023). These reforms and results illustrate broad commitment and progress across economic, social and environmental dimensions.
Conclusion
Namibia’s 2024 VNR shows mixed findings. The country has institutionalized the SDGs, aligning national plans and mobilizing data and partnerships, which has yielded tangible gains in health, gender equality, governance and conservation. Economic recovery and social spending have also been significant, though poverty, hunger, inequality and rural service gaps remain problematic. According to the latest data, Namibia is on or near track in areas like HIV/TB reduction, gender parity, and environmental management, but off track in poverty eradication, hunger, education enrollment, and rural infrastructure. Addressing these gaps – through the holistic, data-driven and partnership-based approaches Namibia already practices – is crucial. Overall, the VNR suggests that while Namibia faces daunting structural challenges (drought, unemployment, inequality), its integrated planning and lessons learned position it to accelerate progress on the remaining SDG targets toward 2030.
