Analysts urge transparency, local participation and safeguards as government defends strategic partnership
Patience Makwele
The government’s decision to award a N$39.5 million (US$2.4 million) artificial intelligence-powered agricultural monitoring contract to American technology company 6th Grain Corporation has sparked growing calls for greater transparency, with analysts questioning whether sufficient safeguards are in place to protect Namibia’s strategic interests and ensure local participation.
The one-year agreement, signed between the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform and the United States-based company, will introduce satellite imagery, remote sensing, geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence to monitor Namibia’s staple crops, including mahangu, maize, sorghum, cowpea and wheat.
According to the ministry and the U.S. Embassy in Namibia, the project is expected to strengthen food security by improving crop forecasting, drought monitoring, land suitability assessments and agricultural planning.
However, the announcement has triggered widespread debate with some Namibians questioning whether such a strategic national project should be entrusted to a foreign company.
Political analyst Sakaria Johannes said while technology-driven agriculture was necessary, the government should have been more transparent about how the contract was awarded and the measures put in place to protect Namibia’s long-term interests.
“The government says Namibia will retain ownership of the agricultural data but citizens still deserve to know why this particular company was selected and what safeguards are in place to protect the country’s long-term interests,” Johannes said.
He said the public has legitimate questions about whether local companies or professionals were considered before the contract was awarded.
“We need to understand the procurement process and whether enough was done to explore local capacity before relying on foreign expertise.”
Johannes also urged the government to look beyond the immediate benefits of the project.
“We should not only focus on what the project delivers today. The government must also consider the long-term consequences, environmental protection and ensuring Namibia benefits long after the contract has ended,” he said.
Agricultural analyst Dobson Kwala welcomed the introduction of advanced technology into the country’s farming sector but argued that Namibia should simultaneously invest in developing local expertise.
“I support the technology because it can improve agriculture and food production but I do not support relying entirely on foreign expertise when Namibia has trained professionals who could be part of this project,” Kwala said.
He said Namibia has graduates in information technology, geospatial sciences and agriculture who should be integrated into projects of national importance.
“The biggest safeguard is skills transfer. If the foreign company leaves after one year, Namibians should have the knowledge and capacity to continue operating the system independently,” he said.
Kwala noted that satellite technology and artificial intelligence have become essential tools in modern agriculture, allowing governments to monitor crop health, forecast yields, detect drought conditions and respond more effectively to climate-related challenges.
“The technology itself is not the problem. The question is how the government ensures Namibia develops its own expertise instead of becoming dependent on external service providers,” he said.
Meanwhile, political commentator Nghipundilo Ya Shiindi questioned both the procurement process and the government’s communication around the agreement, saying the public only became aware of the contract after it was announced by the U.S. Embassy.
“Had the U.S. Embassy not announced this agreement, many Namibians would probably not have known about it. Government should have communicated openly about a project of this magnitude because it concerns a strategic sector,” Ya Shiindi said.
She argued that the agreement raises broader questions about Namibia’s long-term food security strategy and whether sufficient local expertise was considered before turning to a foreign company.
“We have qualified Namibians with expertise in agriculture and technology. The public deserves to know whether local capacity was fully considered and why this particular company was selected,” she said.
Ya Shiindi also questioned whether Parliament and the wider public had been adequately informed about the agreement before it took effect.
“When decisions involve sectors as important as agriculture and food security, transparency is essential. Citizens need confidence that every safeguard has been considered,” she said.
However, political and governance analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah urged caution against dismissing the partnership simply because it involves a foreign company.
“Namibia should view this as a strategic bilateral partnership rather than simply a procurement contract. If the agreement delivers real skills transfer, technology transfer and local ownership, it can strengthen our agricultural sector and support our development goals,” Kamwanyah said.
“We should not reject foreign technology simply because it comes from abroad, especially where it fills an existing capacity gap.”
Kamwanyah said the Ministry’s assurance that Namibia will retain ownership of the agricultural data and that officials will receive training was encouraging, but stressed that implementation would determine whether the partnership succeeds.
“The commitment that Namibia will own the data and that officials will receive training is a positive start. However, the real test is implementation.”
He said every international technology partnership should leave Namibia with stronger institutions, greater technical expertise and increased self-reliance.
“If we approach these partnerships strategically, they can accelerate development while protecting our long-term national interests.”
The ministry of agriculture has maintained that the agreement does not compromise Namibia’s sovereignty.
According to information released by the ministry and the U.S. Embassy, the government will retain ownership of all sovereign agricultural and land-related data generated through the programme.
The agreement also includes the transfer of software, artificial intelligence models and technical expertise to the ministry through training, enabling government officials to independently operate and expand the system after the project concludes.
Chief science officer of 6th Grain, Molly Brown, said the partnership would place world-class earth observation tools directly into the hands of Namibia’s agricultural institutions through satellite-driven analytics tailored to the country’s crops and climate.
Chief executive officer Vlad Eskin said the project was designed to build lasting institutional capacity by enabling Namibian officials to make informed decisions using reliable, data-driven information beyond the lifespan of the contract.
The U.S. Embassy described the agreement as an example of growing commercial cooperation between Namibia and the United States, saying it demonstrates how American innovation can contribute to strengthening Namibia’s agricultural sector while creating opportunities for long-term collaboration.
Questions sent to agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani were not answered by the time of publication as she explained that she was on the road and requested for questions to be sent via text. (Awaiting response but will add if received before publication).
