Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Organization

European Union

Also known as: EU · Europian Union · the EU · the bloc · EU-Namibia · EUBAM

Political and economic bloc with which Namibia conducts trade and partnerships in beef exports, renewable energy investment, and agricultural development.

Society

Namibian universities launch EU-backed exchange programme

The News

Namibia's government has supported the SHINE programme, an international exchange initiative involving six local universities and two European partners in Germany and Spain, aimed at improving education quality, graduate employability, and research opportunities. The EU-funded project, running from January 2026 to December 2028, seeks to modernise higher education and position Namibia as a hub of academic excellence in southern Africa.

1 April 2026 · New Era

Wednesday 1 April

  1. Namibian universities launch EU-backed exchange programme

    Namibia's government has supported the SHINE programme, an international exchange initiative involving six local universities and two European partners in Germany and Spain, aimed at improving education quality, graduate employability, and research opportunities. The EU-funded project, running from January 2026 to December 2028, seeks to modernise higher education and position Namibia as a hub of academic excellence in southern Africa.

    1 April 2026 · New Era

  2. Niger's deposed president held in limbo after three years

    Mohamed Bazoum, Niger's democratically elected president ousted by a military coup in July 2023, remains detained in the presidential palace with an uncertain legal status as his official term ends. His lawyers argue he should retain rights, while the junta claims authority under a new military charter, leaving little prospect of his release or trial despite international demands.

    1 April 2026 · New Era

  3. Israel plans permanent control of southern Lebanon buffer zone

    Israel's defence minister announced that after the war with Hezbollah ends, Israel will maintain military control over a swath of southern Lebanon extending to the Litani River, and will demolish houses in border villages. Lebanon's government and international critics including the UN, Canada, and European nations have condemned the plan as an illegal occupation and collective punishment.

    1 April 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 26 March

  1. Ghana and EU sign inaugural defence partnership against jihadist violence

    Ghana and the European Union signed their first formal defence partnership agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation in counterterrorism, intelligence sharing and crisis response, as coastal West African nations seek to prevent spillover of violence from the Sahel region. The deal includes a 50 million euro support package with communication systems, boats, drones and other equipment to bolster Ghana's security capacity.

    26 March 2026 · New Era

  2. FAO and Namibia sign five-year agrifood systems partnership framework

    The Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Namibian government have signed a 2025–2029 country programme framework to address food insecurity affecting 57.2% of the population. The partnership, with three strategic priorities including policy strengthening, value chain development and green growth, aims to reduce dependence on food imports and improve nutrition across the country.

    26 March 2026 · The Namibian

  3. UN recognizes African enslavement as gravest crime against humanity

    The United Nations General Assembly voted 123-3 to declare the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity", urging member states to consider apologizing and contributing to a reparations fund. The UK, US, and other nations opposed or abstained, citing concerns about legal precedent and the responsibility of modern institutions for historical wrongs.

    26 March 2026 · The Namibian

  4. Namibia poised to grow critical minerals for energy transition

    A UN Conference on Trade and Development report finds that Namibia has significant untapped potential to expand exports of critical energy transition minerals—including lithium, rare earth elements, graphite, copper, manganese, and zinc—used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and battery systems. The report highlights opportunities in value addition and processing, particularly with EU partnerships, and notes projects like the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project could position Namibia as a competitive player in global energy transition value chains.

    26 March 2026 · Informanté

Thursday 19 March

  1. BMW profit resilient amid tariffs, outperforms German rivals

    German carmaker BMW reported a net profit of 7.45 billion euros for 2025, a decline of just 3%, significantly outperforming competitors Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz despite US tariffs and Chinese market pressures. The company's finance chief expects transatlantic tariff disputes to ease, forecasting a US-EU trade deal at zero tariff rates that would benefit BMW's South Carolina operations.

    19 March 2026 · New Era

  2. Britain and Rwanda clash at court over scrapped migrant deal

    Rwanda is seeking over £100 million from Britain at an international arbitration court in The Hague, claiming unpaid amounts and costs from a 2022 migrant deportation agreement that Britain abandoned in 2024, calling it a waste of taxpayers' money. Britain disputes Rwanda's claims, arguing they are motivated by retaliation for London's suspension of aid over Rwanda's alleged support for M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    19 March 2026 · New Era

Wednesday 18 March

  1. Savanna Beef launches innovative slaughter rights trading on NSX

    Savanna Beef Operations began trading slaughter rights on the Namibia Securities Exchange's over-the-counter platform on Monday, with 927 rights sold at N$300 each on the first day. The system grants shareholders priority access to slaughter capacity at the facility and is intended to provide market-based access to abattoir capacity for producers while awaiting full European Union export certification.

    18 March 2026 · The Namibian

Namibia Minute