India’s goal in Africa is to ‘build together’, PM says in Namibia

Continuing his diplomacy focused on the Global South, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) highlighted India’s support to Namibia’s decolonisation, “not just in words, but in action”.

Addressing a special session of the Namibian Parliament, Mr. Modi congratulated the African nation for adopting India’s UPI digital payment system. The Prime Minister also highlighted the country’s wider Africa policy, emphasising that India does not aspire to “compete” with anyone in the African continent, but rather seeks to “build together”.

“India is proud to have stood with Namibia – not just in words, but in action. Like the tough and elegant plants of Namibia, our friendship has stood the test of time. And, just like your national plant Welwitschia mirabilis, it only grows stronger with age and time,” Mr. Modi told the joint session of the Parliament of Namibia, highlighting the historic support that India extended to Namibia’s freedom from the 1940s. According to the records of the Ministry of External Affairs, India was among the first countries to raise the cause of Namibia’s independence at the United Nations in 1946.

Cooperation, not competition

Africa should not just be a source of raw materials and minerals, but should “lead in value creation and sustainable growth”, the Prime Minister said. “With Africa, we seek not to compete, but to cooperate. Our goal is to build together. Not to take, but to grow together,” he added.

Mr. Modi met with Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and signed several agreements, including MoUs to set up an Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Namibia and to cooperate in the field of health and medicine. Namibia also completed the formalities to join the India-led Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Global Biofuel Alliance. The launch of a digital payments system in Namibia later this year was also announced as an outcome of the UPI technology licensing agreement signed between the National Payments Corporation of India and the Bank of Namibia in April 2024.

Mr. Nandi-Ndaitwah also conferred Mr. Modi with the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, Namibia’s highest civilian award.

Earlier, Mr. Modi paid homage to the hero of Namibia’s freedom movement Sam Nujoma, describing him as “a great friend of India”. He recollected Dr. Nujoma’s role during the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Namibia in 1986. The first diplomatic mission of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) was established in India, which provided the organisation with material support as it led the efforts for the liberation of Namibia. India’s support to SWAPO is remembered fondly, the Prime Minister said.