Namibia strengthens agricultural data systems through SADC AIMS alignment workshop
Swakopmund, Namibia – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform are co-hosting a five-day SADC AIMS Indicator Alignment Workshop from 12 to 16 January 2026, aimed at strengthening national agricultural data systems and improving harmonized reporting at regional and continental levels. The workshop is an activity supported by the European Union-funded Support Towards Operationalisation of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (STOSAR) II project.
The workshop supports the 2026‑2030 AIMS Roadmap and delivers on commitments made at the November 2025 regional AIMS workshop, where member states pledged to align national indicators, upload at least 70 percent of their data to the regional portal, standardise metadata and revitalise AIMS technical working groups.
This activity builds on progress achieved under the first phase of the STOSAR project and is being implemented under STOSAR II, with financial support from the European Union, further reinforcing the EU–FAO–SADC partnership in strengthening agricultural information systems across the region.
Despite progress in endorsing a regional AIMS strategy and core indicators, agricultural data across the region remains fragmented, with multiple systems operating in silos. The workshop responds to this challenge by supporting the alignment of national indicators with the SADC AIMS and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) frameworks, while building practical capacity in data management and analysis.
Opening the workshop, Stephanus Sanda, the Chief Statistician at Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform underscored the importance of harmonized agricultural data for informed decision-making and regional integration.
“Reliable and harmonized agricultural data is essential for effective planning, monitoring and investment in the sector. This workshop strengthens Namibia’s ability to align national systems with regional and continental frameworks, while ensuring that data is not only collected, but consistently used to inform policy and improve outcomes for farmers and communities,” said Sanda.
Delivering remarks on behalf of Patrice Talla, the FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Elma Zanamwe, STOSAR II Project Coordinator, emphasized that strengthening the Agricultural Information Management System (AIMS) goes beyond technical systems and is central to sustainable agricultural transformation.
“This is not only a technical exercise, but an effort to build confidence, ownership and sustainability, ensuring that data continues to be updated and used long after this workshop concludes. Strong agricultural information systems are essential for turning data into actionable insights that support better policies, investments and food security outcomes,” said Talla.
During the workshop, participants are receiving hands-on training in statistical analysis using SPSS and Excel, designing dashboards and infographics, and translating data insights into concise policy briefs. key component focuses on data lifecycle management, aligning indicator definitions and metadata and uploading national datasets to the SADC AIMS portal under supervision. The training emphasises integrated data across agriculture, fisheries, water and land sectors and supports the use of standardized concepts, definitions and classifications.
By the end of the workshop, Namibia is expected to have aligned its core agricultural indicators with regional and continental frameworks and made significant progress toward the target of at least 70 percent data availability on the AIMS platform.
Participants will also gain the capacity to continue updating data, produce dashboards and policy briefs, collaborate through revitalised technical working groups, and an action plan for continued data population and alignment will guide follow‑up steps.
The workshop’s cross-sector focus on agriculture, fisheries, water and land data systems supports improved food security outcomes and also contributes to the objectives of the STOSAR II project.
ENDS.