APMD Stakeholders' benchmarking visit to Namibia: Learning from best practices in policy, private sector engagement, and data systems to inform pastoral livestock value chain transformation in Kenya and Nigeria

The livestock sectors in Kenya and Nigeria play a significant role in food security, employment, and export potential. However, both countries face structural challenges including weak enforcement of enabling policy, limited private sector participation, inadequate capacity and compliance to enter premium markets and fragmented livestock data systems.

on the other hand, Namibia’s livestock and beef production and trade system is  regarded as a model of efficiency and resilience in Africa anchored on a robust enabling policy environment. Therefore, the country has successfully established a well-coordinated framework that supports both domestic and international livestock trade, particularly in beef exports. 

Namibia’s ability to harmonize livestock development with land tenure systems, animal health regulations, and export standards provides a practical and relevant learning platform. These best practices offer valuable insights that can be adapted to support the transformation of pastoral livestock value chains in Kenya and Nigeria, with the aim of enhancing productivity, market access, and resilience.

Therefore, the benchmarking visit aims to achieve the following objectives:

• To benchmark Namibia's livestock export system: Gain in-depth understanding of the structural, operational, and regulatory mechanisms that have enabled Namibia to become a leading exporter of livestock and beef products compliant with international standards.
• To identify effective private sector engagement models: Explore successful strategies and institutional arrangements that foster meaningful private sector involvement across the pastoral livestock value chain, from production to processing, value addition, and export.
• To learn about Namibia's enabling policy and regulatory frameworks: Learn about incentive- policy, institutional set-ups and governance frameworks supporting the enhanced export performances.
• To explore Namibia’s digital livestock data systems, including identification, recording, traceability, and disease surveillance, that contribute to enhanced compliance, productivity, market access, and evidence-based decision-making.
• To promote knowledge transfer and capacity building: enable participants to gain practical insights through direct engagement with insitutions, enterprises and infrastructure that support Namibia's livestock sector with a focus on replicable elements and localized adaptation.
• To co-develop a post-visit action plan outlining priority policy, institutional, and investment interventions for Kenya and Nigeria, grounded in Namibia’s best practices and tailored to local realities.

Expected outcomes:

• Baseline Gap Analysis report; consolidated pre-visit assessment report identifying existing policy, private sector, and data ecosystem gaps in Kenya and Nigeria’s pastoral livestock value chains, providing a foundation for targeted learning during the visit.
• Documentataion of best practices from Namibia:  structured collection of Namibia’s high-impact models, including its Meat Board operations, Livestock Identification and Traceability System (NamLITS), PPP frameworks, veterinary systems/disease free zone, livestock trade auction system, and levy/market financing schemes.
• Strengthened triangular institutional networks: New or reinforced relationships between Kenyan, Nigerian, and Namibian public and private sector actors to support ongoing / future cooperation in livestock sector transformation.
• Strategic rollout plan: A practical action plan with time-bound steps, responsible institutions, and milestones for adapting and piloting selected Namibian models in Kenya and Nigeria.
• Capacity Development Roadmap: A roadmap outlining medium-term institutional strengthening needs for implementing improved livestock marketing systems, including training, tools, and cross-country technical assistance.

Stakeholders will observe firsthand how Namibia’s enabling policy frameworks, active private sector engagement, and integrated data systems have strengthened the livestock sector, particularly in dryland areas and inspire actionable ideas that can be adapted to local contexts.