The European Union has availed a grant of N$43 million to civil society organisations (CSOs) towards inclusive green growth.

The grant will fund the strengthening of CSOs in contributing to policy debates on sustainable energy and extractive industries.

The EU has also launched projects which will be funded under its bilateral programme aimed at strengthening civil society's participation and engagement in the country's development agenda.

The projects are aimed at empowering CSOs in fostering transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in the country's economic transformation as well as addressing environmental concerns and social impacts of green hydrogen and extractive industries.

"Civil society plays a crucial role in informing and shaping public opinion and public policies in contributing to transparency, inclusivity and accountability. Growth that lacks transparency and accountability is unsustainable and it is ultimately the people of Namibia who must benefit from these economic transformations," said Ana Beatriz Martins, EU Ambassador to Namibia.

The awardees include the Namibian Nature Foundation, the Institute for Public Policy Research, the Namibia Media Trust, and the Namibia Development Trust.

The funding will also support training for journalists to strengthen their capabilities and promote informed public debates.

Executive Director of the National Planning Commission, Michael Humavindu, stated that the NPC will ensure the finalisation of the CSO policy, assuring that CSOs are enabled, capacitated and incentivised.

"We wish to call on the successful CSOs today to ensure that their work emanating from these grants also, by extension, not only capacitates those potential beneficiaries that are targeted but also leads to development outcomes. We should see some support also in the future towards Indigenous CSOs that are then capacitated to be able to take up on their own accord the necessary capacity and confidence to also partake in competitive calls for proposals in the future. "