Vice President Lucia Witbooi of Namibia has emphasized the need for Africa to adopt a long-term approach to development, leveraging its vast natural resources, youthful population, and emerging industries to drive inclusive economic growth. Speaking at the Africa's Future Conference 2026 in Windhoek, Witbooi warned that the continent must break away from short-term planning to achieve sustainable development. The conference, themed "The Future of Business, Governance and Law in Africa: Digital Transformation, Sustainability and Inclusive Development," brought together experts from across the continent and beyond.
Witbooi highlighted Africa's enormous potential, citing its abundant natural resources and demographic dividend driven by its youth. However, she cautioned that this potential would not automatically translate into prosperity, emphasizing the need for governments to fundamentally rethink their approach to planning, governance, and development program execution. The Vice President stressed that Africa's abundance must be harnessed through practical solutions to address pressing development challenges.
The conference brought together academics, policymakers, business practitioners, and thought leaders from Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Germany, Spain, and Brazil to deliberate on digital transformation, sustainability, governance, and inclusive development. Witbooi emphasized that the conference theme should drive practical solutions to the continent's development challenges, rather than being confined to academic debate. She called for new approaches to business, governance, and law that can equip African countries to respond to rapidly changing economic, technological, and social realities.
Witbooi highlighted Namibia's own development agenda, reflected in the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), which focuses on economic growth, human development, and institutional resilience. She stressed that economic progress should not be measured solely through national statistics, arguing that development must ultimately improve the lives of ordinary people. The Vice President emphasized that development must be felt at the grassroots level to be truly inclusive.
Witbooi identified natural resource beneficiation, local value addition, digital transformation, and access to affordable development finance as key ingredients for more inclusive growth. She also highlighted Namibia's emerging sectors, including green energy, salmon farming, and oil and gas, as areas with significant potential. However, Witbooi stressed that their development would require transparent, accountable, and sustainable governance.
The Vice President pointed to Namibia's newly launched national Local Content Policy for the oil and gas industry as an example of efforts to ensure that emerging economic opportunities generate broader national benefits. Witbooi called for stronger collaboration between governments, universities, the private sector, young people, and civil society, emphasizing that Africa's development cannot be driven by governments or individual institutions acting alone.
Witbooi concluded by urging delegates to use the conference as a platform for developing practical pathways for sustained dialogue, cooperation, and action. She emphasized that Africa's development relies on its own institutional capacity and structured discipline, and that the continent must build institutions capable of converting research and innovation into practical policy and development outcomes.
Key points
- Africa must adopt long-term development strategies to leverage its natural resources and youthful population.
