By Staff Reporter

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Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, shortly after arriving in New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly, met with Mr. Kamel Ghribi, Executive Chair of the European Corporate Council on Africa and President of GKSD, to discuss opportunities for investment in Namibia.

Talks centred on agro-processing, green industrialisation, energy, healthcare, infrastructure, and education. The President emphasised that robust healthcare systems are fundamental to sustainable development and welcomed GKSD’s interest in advancing medical innovation, capacity building, and access to quality services in Namibia.

Video: Namibian Presidency

She further underscored the importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as catalysts for Namibia’s socio-economic transformation, adding their potential to create jobs, expand infrastructure, strengthen healthcare delivery, and promote inclusive growth. GKSD reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with Namibia in advancing sustainable growth and job creation.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah also addressed a high-level luncheon consultation on the revitalisation of national youth centres, where she highlighted the central role of young people in driving Namibia’s long-term development agenda.

She recalled the recent launch of Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), which serves as the country’s final roadmap to Vision 2030 under the theme “Fostering Economic Growth, Inclusiveness and Resilience for Sustainable Development.” Anchored on four pillars—economic transformation, human development, environmental sustainability, and effective governance—NDP6 aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and SADC Vision 2050.

The President outlined Namibia’s focus on economic diversification and digital transformation, with a goal of building value chains, fostering innovation, and achieving universal connectivity to power a knowledge-based economy by 2030. Central to this vision is youth empowerment through skills development, culture and creative industries, and sport.

She highlighted the launch of a N$257 million National Youth Fund to support skills training and apprenticeships, as well as plans to professionalise and commercialise sport. The government aims to build sports facilities in every constituency, reinforcing social inclusion and economic growth.

Namibia’s successful hosting of the 2025 African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games, she said, reflected the country’s commitment to investing in youth and sports infrastructure.

The President also praised the Physically Active Youth (PAY) Programme in Katutura, Windhoek, which has empowered young people for over two decades through after-school support and cycling development. She commended its impact in building resilience and opportunity among Namibian youth.

Concluding her remarks, President Nandi-Ndaitwah called on international partners to support Namibia’s efforts in youth empowerment, sports, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure. “A healthy nation is a productive nation. To ensure our young people seize global opportunities, we must join hands to advance their holistic development,” she said.