Indian PM Modi Honoured with Namibia’s Highest Civilian Award; Pushes India-Namibia Ties in Consequential Visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a historic visit to Namibia, paid homage to the country’s Founding Father and first President, Dr. Sam Nujoma, at the Heroes Acre memorial in Windhoek. 

Remembering Dr. Nujoma as a visionary leader and stalwart of Namibia’s independence movement, the Prime Minister said his contributions to nation-building continue to inspire people around the world. 

Image Source: PM NaMo on X

Modi also recalled Dr. Nujoma’s enduring friendship with India, particularly his presence at the establishment of Namibia’s first diplomatic mission—then under SWAPO—in New Delhi in 1986.

During the state visit, President of Namibia, Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, conferred upon Prime Minister Modi the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, Namibia’s highest civilian honour. Modi is the first Indian leader to receive this distinction. 

Accepting the award, he dedicated it to the 1.4 billion people of India and underscored the deep-rooted and time-tested partnership between the two countries.

This was the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Namibia in 27 years and marked the first state visit hosted by President Nandi-Ndaitwah since assuming office in March 2025. In their bilateral talks, the two leaders discussed expanding cooperation across key sectors including defence, maritime security, agriculture, digital public infrastructure, healthcare, energy, and critical minerals. 

Modi offered Indian support in launching Quick Impact Projects in areas such as cyber security, women’s empowerment, and child welfare, and shared India’s experience in deploying drones for agricultural applications—an initiative that could potentially benefit Namibian farmers.

The leaders expressed satisfaction over the growth in bilateral trade but agreed that greater potential remained untapped. They called for fast-tracking discussions on the India-Southern African Customs Union Preferential Trade Agreement. 

Modi also proposed new development cooperation through capacity building programmes and partnerships to establish manufacturing units in Namibia.

India thanked Namibia for its cooperation in the Cheetah reintroduction project and extended an invitation for Namibia to join the International Big Cat Alliance. The two sides also exchanged views on global issues, reaffirming their shared commitment to combat terrorism and amplify the voice of the Global South. 

Modi conveyed India’s gratitude for Namibia’s solidarity following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.

Following the talks, the countries witnessed the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding in the fields of health and entrepreneurship. 

Namibia announced its membership in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Global Biofuels Alliance, and became the first country to sign a licensing agreement to adopt India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) technology.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah hosted a state banquet in honour of Prime Minister Modi, who in turn extended an invitation for her to visit India at a mutually convenient time.