Kolkata: Namibia on Wednesday honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi by bestowing him its highest civilian award, the ‘Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis’. Earlier, PM Modi was honoured with Brazil’s highest civilian award, the ‘Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross’.
PM Modi is currently on a state visit to Namibia at the invitation of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. On Wednesday morning, the PM arrived in Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, and this is the first time he has visited the country. Overall, it is the third instance of an Indian PM visiting Namibia.
In his discussions with Netumbo, PM Modi focused on improving bilateral relations across sectors, including defence, security, education, digital technology, healthcare, agriculture, and critical minerals. After the meeting, PM Modi posted on social media and wrote, “Cooperation in areas such as digital technology, defence, security, agriculture, healthcare, education, and critical minerals figured prominently in our discussions.” He added, “We also discussed how to boost linkages in trade, energy and petrochemicals. Expressed gratitude for the assistance from Namibia in Project Cheetah.”
President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and I reviewed the full range of India-Namibia relations during our talks today. Cooperation in areas such as digital technology, defence, security, agriculture, healthcare, education and critical minerals figured prominently in our… pic.twitter.com/PdpLFc2U29
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 9, 2025
Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said, “By the power vested in me by the Namibian Constitution, I have the honour to confer the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis to Narendra Modi, PM of India who has significantly contributed to social-economic development and the promotion of peace and justice in Namibia and globally.”
Since assuming office in May 2014, PM Modi has been conferred with 27 international honours by a foreign government. India and Namibia have signed four agreements to increase cooperation in sectors like energy and healthcare. Also, PM Modi paid homage to Sam Nujoma, the founding father of Namibia, who played a key role in leading the country to independence in 1990 and served as its first President for 15 years.
What is the ‘Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis’?
The Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis is the highest civilian award of Namibia. It was established in 1995 to recognise distinguished service and leadership. The award has been named after an ancient desert plant endemic to Namibia, named the Welwitschia Mirabilis. The honour is a symbol of resilience, longevity and the people of Namibia’s enduring spirit.