In (1) I would say no. In (2) I would say yes. But what's the rule or logic or principle?
(1) He has a good idea, namely to start going to the gym.
(2) The new policy seeks to achieve the exact scenario—namely, Ancient Roman loss and depletion—that my friend warned about.
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Hi, Andrew—Not all writers use a comma after "namely" in its appositive-introducing function, but I do. I'd use the comma in both (1) and (2). You could follow "namely" with a 5-second pause in either sentence and the sentence would not disintegrate in consciousness. That's how detached "namely" is.
"I suggest that you visit the best grammar website, viz., Grammar Exchange."
