Nandi-Ndaitwah urges G20 to prioritise development funding and debt relief for Africa

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah calls for countries to ensure they get adequate resources for development.

​Namibia attended the G20 last November as a guest at the invitation of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, as South Africa was the host country.

Speaking during the review of reports on the Africa G20 summit on Saturday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the president said the continent must address an energy transition rooted in fairness.

She also highlighted the need for debt sustainability for low-income countries, investments in mineral exploration and local beneficiation, as well as industrialisation, employment, reduced inequality and food security.

“For Namibia, an important issue to be addressed by the African Union (AU) and the G20 is ensuring that countries can mobilise sufficient resources for development. However, many African countries must balance this against debt-service costs, which crowd out development spending,” she said.
She urged the G20 leaders to strengthen debt treatment frameworks and provide concessional financing to countries that demonstrate a commitment to sound debt management.

​Nandi-Ndaitwah said the approach taken by Ramaphosa – calling for a strong partnership for Africa through the G20 Compact with Africa and strengthening the finance track’s focus on the continent – is a commendable initiative with which Namibia fully aligns.

She said Namibia welcomes the two reports commissioned by Ramaphosa and agrees with the recommendation that they be included in the AU repository of documentation on advancing multilateralism.

“We also support South Africa’s intention to submit the report of the G20 extraordinary committee of independent experts on global inequality to the 80th United Nations General Assembly.”

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