Namibia is preparing to rewrite the law that governs its use of radioactive materials, a decisive step that will shape the country’s nuclear future.
Cabinet’s approval of the Nuclear Industry Strategy in October 2025 opened the way for significant amendments to the Atomic Energy and Radiation Protection Act of 2005.
This law has guided radiation control for nearly two decades, but it was never designed to manage nuclear power.
When enacted 20 years ago, the 2005 Act focused on X-ray use, medical isotopes, and safety in uranium mining. It created two bodies — the Atomic Energy Board to advise the Minister of Mines and Energy, and the National Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) to enforce rules, issue licences, and inspect facilities using radiation.
The Act set penalties of up to N$200 000 or up to 10 years in jail for serious breaches, required users to register all radioactive sources, and mandated safety officers and contingency plans at every licensed facility.
The NRPA has since become Namibia’s central radiation watchdog, maintaining a national register of radiation sources and monitoring exposures at hospitals, industrial plants, and uranium mines.
Yet, for all its detail, the law stops short of authorising anything resembling a nuclear reactor. It regulates the use of radioactive material but says nothing about power generation, fuel processing, or long-term waste storage — areas now under active consideration as Namibia looks to harness its uranium wealth for domestic energy.
That gap is what the government now wants to close. The new Nuclear Industry Strategy calls for amendments that will extend the law’s reach to nuclear energy production, giving Namibia the power to license and regulate reactors, uranium-fuel-cycle plants, and radioactive-waste repositories.
Oversight of the Act will shift from the Ministry of Mines and Energy to the National Planning Commission (NPC), under the Office of the President.
This move is intended to integrate nuclear development with national planning, ensuring coordination between energy, industry, infrastructure, and education.
The reforms will also transform the NRPA into an independent nuclear regulatory authority, insulated from ministerial control and empowered to oversee everything from site selection to decommissioning.
The Director of Radiation Protection will become a Chief Nuclear Regulator, accountable to Parliament through the NPC rather than to a single ministry.
A new body, the Nuclear Institute of Namibia, will be established to handle training, research, and technical cooperation. It will work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to build local expertise and ensure Namibia meets the 19 infrastructure milestones required for countries developing nuclear power.
Under the amendments, all nuclear projects will need a four-stage licence — covering site approval, construction, operation, and decommissioning. Operators will have to submit safety assessments, environmental impact studies, and financial guarantees for waste management and decommissioning.
For the first time, the law will include detailed provisions on radioactive-waste management.
The government has already signalled its direction with the Decommissioning of Facilities Regulations of 2025, which require operators to plan for closure before they even begin operations.
The revised law will go further, providing a legal basis for deep geological repositories, waste transport rules, and long-term environmental monitoring.
It will also introduce nuclear liability and insurance clauses, adopting principles from the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage.
This will ensure that, in the event of an accident, operators carry financial responsibility and victims have a clear route to compensation.
In addition, Namibia will domesticate several IAEA conventions, including the Convention on Nuclear Safety, the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste, and the Convention on Early Notification of Nuclear Accidents.
These will give the country access to international technical support and ensure its programme aligns with global standards.
Although the legal overhaul will take time, it represents a shift in Namibia’s view of its uranium industry — from a source of export revenue to a foundation for domestic power and industrialisation.
Officials argue that without a modernised legal framework, Namibia cannot license reactors, attract investors, or meet the safety requirements of international partners.
Information and Communication Technology Minister Emma Theofelus, announcing the Cabinet’s decision, said the reforms will “ensure Namibia’s nuclear journey proceeds safely, transparently, and in full compliance with global standards.”
The new law is expected to reach Parliament in 2026, followed by a multi-year phase of institutional strengthening and training.
Once enacted, it will replace the narrow, radiation-only focus of the 2005 Act with a comprehensive framework for nuclear energy, marking Namibia’s transition from a regulator of x-rays and isotopes to a potential nuclear nation.
