Namibian boards operate in a rapidly changing landscape of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
Board oversight requires sifting through extensive data while making timely decisions that align with local needs and international standards.
When discussions turn to artificial intelligence (AI), it often remains a buzzword rather than a practical governance solution.
What Is Generative AI and Why Does It Matter?
Generative AI includes tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini that produce content based on patterns learned from extensive datasets from books, articles and websites.
These tools support governance professionals by offering concise insights, drafting policies, and identifying emerging risks.
Board members often question AI’s value when they already have skilled committees and comprehensive board packs. The key advantages lie in speed, scalability and deeper insights.
AI can analyse vast amounts of information in minutes and serve as a brainstorming partner by proposing various strategic approaches.
However, generative AI cannot replace the board’s independent judgement or accountability. Instead, it reduces routine analytical tasks, allowing directors to focus on strategic priorities where their oversight adds most value.
Practical Generative AI Use Cases
Scenario Planning for Strategic Oversight
Scenario planning is essential for analysing complex regulatory developments and market shifts.
In telecommunications, for example, a board might explore how consumer demand and regulatory frameworks in Namibia could evolve. Generative
AI can produce structured scenarios in minutes instead of weeks.
Sample ChatGPT prompt: “Act as a strategic adviser for our MTC board. Provide three potential industry scenarios for the next four years, focusing on regulatory policy changes, technologies, and consumer preferences. Explain your assumptions and reasoning.”
By specifying timeframe and context, the AI’s output becomes directly relevant, enabling comparison of strategic pathways while ensuring discussions remain grounded in pressing concerns.
Risk Management and Emerging Threats
Directors must remain vigilant about economic shifts and regulatory requirements.
Currency fluctuations or new directives from the Bank of Namibia can swiftly alter risk profiles in the financial services sector. Generative AI can draw on publicly available data to produce concise risk briefings.
Sample ChatGPT Prompt: “You are a risk consultant for a Namibian financial services board.
Identify five emerging threats likely to affect our sector over the next 18 months and describe potential impacts and proactive strategies.”
This preliminary analysis facilitates identification of priority issues requiring further examination.
Competitor Analysis and Market Trends
Maintaining a competitive edge requires continuous awareness of rivals and market entrants. Generative AI can provide comprehensive competitive overviews, enabling directors to identify potential threats and opportunities.
Sample ChatGPT prompt: “Analyse our market’s current and emerging competitors in Namibia.
Describe each competitor’s value proposition, evaluate their impact on our core business, and recommend strategies to sustain our competitive advantage.”
This approach promotes forward-thinking governance, enabling directors to chart decisive actions within Namibia’s evolving business landscape.
Drafting and Summarising Board Packs
Board packs often run to hundreds of pages, burying strategic issues beneath technical details.
Generative AI can create concise summaries highlighting important points, allowing directors to focus on critical decisions rather than reviewing data.
Data Protection and Governance Considerations:
When using AI, companies should remove identifiable details from prompts before submission:
Original: “Our subscriber base in the Khomas region declined by 2 500 users last quarter due to a competitor’s new mobile money offer.”
Anonymised: “Our subscriber base in Region A changed by X users in the previous period, partly because of a competitor’s digital payment solution.”
AI Governance Framework
An ‘AI use company policy’ is essential. It should outline permissible use cases, data handling standards, and escalation procedures for unethical use or potential breaches. Such guidelines protect the company and uphold stakeholder trust.
The Path Forward
Generative AI provides Namibian boards with valuable tools to enhance governance oversight and expedite informed decisions. However, these benefits require responsible utilisation within appropriate ethical boundaries.
As Namibia modernises its regulatory landscape, fast-tracking the data protection bill, developing a national AI policy, and introducing sector-specific guidelines are essential next steps. These measures will maintain trust and transparency, ensuring
AI aligns with Namibia’s broader social and economic objectives while supporting effective board governance.
- Chisom Okafor-Obiudo is an admitted legal practitioner and corporate governance trainer, serving as chief legal officer at the Namibian Law Reform and Development Commission. Contact: [email protected]
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