By Staff Reporter
Namibia faces a N$2.3 billion shortfall in road-sector funding, while nearly 70 percent of assessed unpaved urban roads are in poor or very poor condition, raising concerns about the state of road infrastructure in towns across the country.
Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa said local authorities must take greater responsibility for maintaining roads and include maintenance in their budgets instead of relying solely on external funding.
Sankwasa made these remarks during the urban roads management conference at the Namibia on Monday. He added that councils have a legal responsibility to construct and maintain streets and public places within their jurisdictions under the Local Authorities Act of 1992.
He called for stronger cooperation between government institutions, local authorities, the private sector and development partners to address the challenges facing urban roads.
According to the Roads Fund Administration’s (RFA) 2026 Integrated Annual Report, the funding gap has narrowed from N$3.6 billion, but only 62.4% of fundable requests were supported during the 2025/26 financial year.
Sankwasa further announced that the RFA had committed approximately N$800 million to local authorities and regional councils for the 2026/27 financial year to improve road conditions, connectivity, safety and accessibility.
RFA chief executive officer Ali Ipinge said the administration generated net revenue of N$4.06 billion during the 2025/26 financial year and invested N$3.50 billion in preserving the national road network.
Support for local authority road projects increased from N$229.2 million in 2024/25 to N$416.4 million in 2025/26.
Ipinge said the RFA had introduced the Namibia Urban Road Management System to help local authorities assess road conditions, estimate maintenance costs and identify roads requiring urgent rehabilitation.
The system covers 56 local authorities and more than 4,600 kilometres of urban roads. Verification of the reported condition of unpaved roads is still under way.
Ipinge also called for improved revenue collection and the exploration of additional financing mechanisms. He warned that changes in vehicle technology and fuel consumption could affect revenue generated through the Road User Charging System.
The conference brought together government officials, local authorities and road-sector stakeholders to discuss ways to improve the management and maintenance of Namibia’s urban road network.
The conference brought together government officials, local authorities and road-sector stakeholders to discuss measures to improve the management and maintenance of Namibia’s urban road network.
