Africa-Press – Namibia. A new draft policy, known as the National Policy on the Namibian Diaspora, aims to make significant strides by establishing formal institutions to track the number of Namibians in foreign countries, their well-being, and how Namibians in the diaspora can contribute to the development of Namibia.
According to statistics from the World Bank, remittance inflows serve as a major source of income for most countries in Southern Africa, with the region recording an estimated $6.5 billion of remittance income in 2019.
During his keynote address at the first multi-sectoral technical workshop on the draft policy, Ambassador Penda Naanda, the Executive Director of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, shared that to date, no accurate data exists on the number of Namibians living abroad. However, a 2013 study by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs indicates that in 2013, there were 137,498 Namibians living abroad.
“Available data from Namibian missions abroad indicates that the majority of the diaspora live in South Africa, followed by Zambia and the USA. However, this data is not conclusive, and more accurate information is needed. The lack of a comprehensive database of Namibian diaspora and a comprehensive diaspora profile makes it difficult to ascertain the living conditions and well-being of Namibians abroad,” Naanda said.
He added that with only thirty-four diplomatic missions around the world covering over 100 countries, it is imperative for the government to establish a policy that will enhance engagement between various Namibian institutions and the Namibian diaspora.
“Through the development of a Diaspora Policy, the government will establish formal and institutionalized structures to engage with diaspora issues. Such engagement will also improve consular services for the Namibian diaspora and support business initiatives by the diaspora for investment in Namibia,” Naanda said.
The Executive Director of the Ministry of International Relations further added that Namibia has a shortage of critical skills, and the Diaspora Policy will seek to complement the objectives of the National Migration Policy and the National Labour Migration Policy and its Action Plan (2020) to address this skills gap and other challenges.
“As a government, it is our obligation to do more to create opportunities through specific actions for Namibians in the diaspora. This includes identifying goals, mapping diaspora locations and skills, fostering a relationship of trust, maintaining sophisticated means of communication, and ultimately encouraging Namibians in the diaspora to engage in economic development and contribute to national development. The development of the Namibia Diaspora Policy aligns with the declaration of the ‘Decade of African Roots and Diasporas,’ declared by the African Union for the period 2021 to 2031,” Naanda said.
Today’s workshop will also gather input to develop the Multi-Sectoral Implementation Plan of the Namibia Diaspora Policy.
The Implementation Plan will provide the government and relevant stakeholders with a roadmap for engaging the Namibian diaspora to harness opportunities for national development. This includes identifying the needs and priorities of the Namibian diaspora. Therefore, in order to develop an Implementation Plan that reflects the desires and aspirations of both the Namibian government and the Namibian diaspora, it is my hope that this workshop will serve as a platform for constructive dialogue and exchange among all participants, both present here today and those participating online.
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