President Nangolo Mbumba has called on potential investors to explore opportunities in ammonia and fertiliser production in Namibia and elsewhere across the African continent.
The Head of State addressed the opening session of the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit underway in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
"While imports of fertilisers into the continent are welcome, local production should be promoted and supported. Our country is endowed with natural wind and sun resources, and it is well on its way to becoming a competitive producer and exporter of green hydrogen, reckoned to catalyse the decarbonisation of the planet. Green ammonia is a derivative of green hydrogen, and at full scale, Namibia will be producing about three (3) million metric tonnes of green ammonia annually for regional and global markets. With increased local production of green ammonia, which is one of the ingredients necessary to produce fertilisers, our continent can augment food production through fertiliser usage."
President Mbumba also called for improved intra-Africa in the agricultural sector, taking advantage of the African Continental Free-Trade Area, at an affordable price.
According to the African Union, the share of intra-African agricultural trade has been consistently below 20% in recent decades.
President Mbumba thus wants Namibia's position to be reflected in the declaration, which is for fellow AU member states to endeavour to acquire fertilisers from Africa as a means of supporting efforts to produce more fertilisers locally.
"By fostering collaboration, innovation, and investment in agricultural development, we can overcome the challenges facing African agriculture and unlock the sector's full potential to nourish growing populations, alleviate poverty, and drive economic growth. Let us, as Africans, work together in unison by holding hands and remaining steadfast in our commitment to advancing the goals of food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable development across the continent."
The three-day summit is expected to endorse a 10-year Action Plan with concrete recommendations and steps to be taken by African leaders and stakeholders to stimulate sustainable, pro-poor productivity growth in African agriculture.
The Action Plan will provide a focus for new policies and investments that will enable farmers to work towards re-building soil health and ultimately increase yield responses and the profitability of fertilisers.
The Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit is taking place more than a decade after the Maputo Declaration, which set out to improve the continent's agricultural output, especially in production and value addition to the produce.