Geological and geoscientific research has been carried out in Namibia for well over a hundred years ever since the earliest colonial days. Enormous advances in science and technology during this period of time have led to a rather heterogenous data set, compiled from maps of greatly varying vintage and detail. Up to the time of Namibian independence in 1990, the South African Committee for Stratigraphy (SACS) included the geology of Namibia within its framework, but since then geological research in the country has been ongoing without the benefit of an overseeing agency to regulate activities, set standards and incorporate new results into a consistent and unambiguous stratigraphic data base. For these reasons it was deemed desirable to establish a Namibian Committee for Stratigraphy. Keywords: stratigraphy, data management.