How Namibian CSOs can join the Launch of the NAgDI policy guide in London

- Simply click on this link to join in-person or via ZOOM

The Commonwealth Secretariat, through its Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment (CCA), is rolling out a flagship initiative: National Agricultural Data Infrastructure (NAgDI). This initiative aims to help member states build interoperable, national shared spaces for agricultural data, not to replace existing databases, but to integrate them in ways that strengthen utility, transparency, and national ownership.

A policy guide for NAgDI was launched in 2025, developed in collaboration with experts and member countries. It was validated via a global webinar attended by over 60 specialists, providing normative direction for how countries can design their agricultural DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) systems. 

What is happening on 23 October 2025 (Launch Event in London)

The official launch of the NAgDI policy guide will take place in London, drawing government representatives, technical experts, development partners, and civil society from across the Commonwealth. The event links NAgDI to larger goals of trade, agricultural resilience, data sovereignty, and compliance with global regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Among key themes:

• Data as foundational infrastructure — just as roads and ports are critical for trade, so too is a shared data “superhighway” for agriculture. 
• Interoperability over replacement — the guide emphasises bridging existing systems rather than supplanting them, to preserve institutional investments and local control. 
• Governance & sustainability — independent multi-stakeholder custodians or stewards, governance models, finance/market models, and trust frameworks are core design pillars. 
• Economic & regulatory alignment — NAgDI is positioned as critical for meeting trade regulations (e.g. EUDR traceability), boosting intra-Commonwealth trade, and safeguarding digital sovereignty.

The event will also facilitate dialogue on the next stage: an Investment Roadmap tool tailored for member countries to adopt and adapt. 

What This Means for Namibian CSOs

For civil society organisations in Namibia, the NAgDI launch is an opportunity to act:

• Push for inclusion in national design processes: now is the time to demand seats at working groups, ensure equitable sectoral representation (gender, smallholder, climate, youth), and embed CSO-driven priorities in architecture.
• Advocate for transparency from the start: insist that governance rules, data access policies, and privacy safeguards be built in.
• Use NAgDI logic to strengthen arguments: when asking for access to agricultural, climate, or food systems data, reference interoperability, open standards, and national infrastructure investment rather than ad-hoc data requests.
• Build capacity now: data literacy, understanding DPI concepts, and ability to demand evidence-based decision-making will give CSOs real influence rather than reactionary voice.
• Monitor the Investment Roadmap development: when the Commonwealth releases its generic tool, Namibia’s adaptation of it is a chance to anchor CSO priorities in national implementation plans.

By anchoring your organisation’s work to the architecture of NAgDI, you shift from being a passive data user to an active stakeholder in national infrastructure design. You help decide who gets counted, how data is shared, and how communities benefit.

Interested member countries and partners should contact Connectivity@commonwealth.int for more information. Or click here by Friday 17 October to join in-person or via Zoom.