Namibia Minute.
Tuesday, 6 October 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Tuesday, 6 October 2026
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Namibian press · Person

Graham Hopwood

Also known as: Graham Hoopwood · Hoopwood · executive director Graham Hopwood

Executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research; advocates for transparency in Namibia's natural resource sectors and parliamentary reform.

2019-01-252026-10-06
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What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. May 2023

  2. The Namibian

    Graham Hopwood is a renowned political analyst

    Source

    “Institute for Public Policy Research executive director Graham Hopwood, who is also a renowned political analyst, engages Desert Radio on this issue.”

    Institute for Public Policy Research executive director Graham Hopwood

  3. The Namibian

    Graham Hopwood engaged Desert Radio on the oil industry issue

    Source

    “Institute for Public Policy Research executive director Graham Hopwood, who is also a renowned political analyst, engages Desert Radio on this issue.”

    Institute for Public Policy Research executive director Graham Hopwood
  4. April 2023

  5. The Namibian

    Graham Hopwood called for transparency in the appointment of the ACC head

    Source

    “Institute for Public Policy Research executive director Graham Hopwood called for transparency in the appointment of the ACC head.”

    Noa pleads not to be replaced
  6. January 2019

  7. The Namibian

    Graham Hopwood recommended 'My Purple Scented Novel' by Ian McEwan as short and free audiobook

    Source

    “"This has the virtues of being short and a freebie," says Graham Hopwood linking to a New Yorker page featuring 'My Purple Scented Novel' authored and read by Ian McEwan.”

    Get Your Audiobook On
Business

IPPR calls for transparency in Namibia's fishing rights

The News

The Institute for Public Policy Research has urged the government to publish details of fishing rights and quota holders, including beneficial ownership information, and to amend the Marine Resources Act to reduce ministerial discretion over quota allocations. IPPR executive director Graham Hopwood warned that delaying reform could allow corruption to become further embedded in the sector.

7 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 7 September

  1. IPPR calls for transparency in Namibia's fishing rights

    The Institute for Public Policy Research has urged the government to publish details of fishing rights and quota holders, including beneficial ownership information, and to amend the Marine Resources Act to reduce ministerial discretion over quota allocations. IPPR executive director Graham Hopwood warned that delaying reform could allow corruption to become further embedded in the sector.

    7 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 2 September

  1. Presidency appoints Upstream Petroleum Unit as petroleum local content regulator

    The Presidency has designated the Upstream Petroleum Unit as the regulator of upstream petroleum local content, following Cabinet approval of a new local content policy on 4 August. This represents a shift from an earlier version that gave regulatory powers to the Ministry of Industrialisation, Mines and Energy, a change that has drawn parliamentary concerns about reduced oversight of the natural resource sector.

    2 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 5 August

  1. Speaker blames parliamentary rules for legislative delays

    National Assembly Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila attributes parliament's delays in passing laws to parliamentary rules set by the assembly itself, not to her office. She said the rules prescribe the order and procedures for considering matters, including daily notices, questions, and reports that are placed before the legislative agenda.

    5 August 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 30 July

  1. IPC backs longer Parliament sittings; NDP opposes plan

    The Independent Patriots for Change support calls by the Institute for Public Policy Research to extend Parliament's sitting hours and days to address the backlog of bills, while the National Democratic Party rejects the proposal. IPC previously tabled a motion to have the National Assembly sit Monday to Friday, which was rejected by Swapo, and argues that systemic parliamentary changes beyond just extended hours are needed.

    30 July 2026 · New Era →

Tuesday 28 July

  1. Civil society calls for parliament to extend sitting hours

    Civil society and MPs have called for the National Assembly to extend its sitting hours from 14h30 to 17h45 to properly debate and pass laws. Institute for Public Policy Research director Graham Hopwood said parliament currently works about 90 days a year and warned that deadlocks in passing laws will be an early warning sign for Namibia's political future.

    28 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 22 June

  1. Think tank calls for investigation into healthcare procurement practices

    The Institute of Public Policy Research has released its procurement tracker and called for an in-depth investigation into healthcare sector procurement, describing it as a persistent governance challenge. Research shows corruption in the sector has been ongoing for a decade, and the IPPR notes that key laws including the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 and the Access to Information Act of 2022 have been passed but not implemented.

    22 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 11 June

  1. Namibia considers up to N$3bn stake in diamond firm De Beers

    The government is considering spending up to N$3 billion to buy a stake in De Beers, reportedly partnering with Angola and Botswana, which already hold 15% of the diamond company. The deal follows Anglo American's decision to exit De Beers and sell its 85% stake, with De Beers' valuation dropping significantly from N$65.7 billion to N$6.9 billion.

    11 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 5 May

  1. IPPR calls for reforms to strengthen media sustainability and press freedom

    The Institute for Public Policy Research has warned that financial pressure and digital disruption are weakening Namibia's media sector, calling for funding models such as grants, public interest funds, and tax incentives to sustain quality reporting, as well as transparent advertising policies from government and state-owned enterprises.

    5 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 26 April

  1. Fishrot scandal reveals governance failures in fishing sector

    Six years after the Fishrot scandal, Namibia's fisheries sector remains governed by excessive secrecy with no publicly accessible register of fishing rights holders, quota allocations, or beneficial owners. The same structural weaknesses that enabled the fraud—concentrated discretionary powers, opaque allocation processes, and 'paper quota holders' profiting without investment—remain largely intact, requiring political will to implement transparency reforms.

    26 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 21 April

  1. Swapo marks 66 years; leaders warn history cannot secure future

    On Swapo's 66th anniversary, party leader Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that while the party's liberation struggle history is important, it alone cannot carry the party forward as people now expect tangible improvements in jobs, housing, healthcare, and education. Political analysts noted Swapo's waning electoral support over recent elections due to corruption and declining leadership quality, though the party remains the country's strongest with functional regional structures.

    21 April 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 8 April

  1. Government restricted from sharing oil and gas sector information

    Civil society organisations have accused the government of lack of transparency on oil and gas information access, with various agencies declining to provide petroleum licence details and citing organisational restructuring. Multiple officials and institutions have refused to respond to inquiries, prompting warnings that withholding critical sector information undermines public trust and the right to know.

    8 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 5 April

  1. President to appoint eight deputy ministers and new minister

    President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is expected to announce eight new deputy ministers and appoint deputy defence minister Charles Mubita as minister in the Presidency. The move comes despite her earlier decision to cut ministries and reduce Cabinet size, with critics and analysts warning that some merged ministries may now be too large to function effectively.

    5 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 16 March

  1. Green hydrogen project in Namibia raises environmental and heritage concerns

    A proposed hydrogen production facility in Namibia's Tsau ||Khaeb National Park promises jobs and clean energy exports, but conservationists warn it risks harming endangered wildlife like African penguins and unique desert plants, while local activists raise concerns about community engagement and respect for sites of colonial genocide.

    16 March 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. Namibia must strengthen governance before oil revenue flows

    The Institute for Public Policy Research warns that Namibia faces governance risks as it prepares for oil production, citing lack of transparency in petroleum licensing, insufficient beneficial ownership disclosure, and weak local content oversight as key areas needing reform before the expected investment decisions from TotalEnergies and Mopane projects. Addressing these challenges through the Access to Information Act and digital transparency could help Namibia avoid the "resource curse" while ensuring oil revenues benefit communities rather than political elites.

    16 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 13 March

  1. Namibia's green hydrogen plan raises conservation concerns

    A major hydrogen production facility planned for Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park promises jobs and economic growth but risks damaging endangered wildlife like African penguins and unique desert plants, prompting conservationists to warn of impacts on biodiversity despite Hyphen's commitments to minimise disturbance.

    13 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 12 February

  1. Think tank calls for Namibia to join global extractive transparency initiative

    The Institute for Public Policy Research is advocating for Namibia to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), citing the need for greater transparency and accountability in oil, gas, and mineral resource extraction. Namibia has failed to meet EITI standards, which include contract transparency and beneficial ownership disclosure, gaps that hinder public tracking of extraction ventures and create room for corruption concerns.

    12 February 2026 · New Era →

  2. Orange Basin oil industry plagued by legal gaps and power struggles

    Namibia's emerging oil and gas sector faces a 30-year legal vacuum in gas-related legislation and internal corruption scandals at Namcor, even as offshore exploration has confirmed 21 billion barrels of crude and significant gas deposits. A power struggle between resource nationalists and business factions over control of the industry has intensified following President Nandi-Ndaitwah's appointment and her move to centralise upstream petroleum functions in the Office of the President.

    12 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 7 February

  1. Civil society urges Namibia to join extractive transparency initiative

    The Institute for Public Policy Research has called on Namibia to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a framework requiring disclosure of information on oil, gas and mineral resources throughout the value chain. The EITI was listed as a goal in Namibia's second Harambee Prosperity Plan but was never implemented, though compliance would address current gaps in contract transparency, beneficial ownership disclosure, and revenue reporting.

    7 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Graham Hopwood — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute