On Wednesday, 17th November 2021, H.E. Vice President, H.E Dr Nangolo Mbumba, Vice President of the Republic of Namibia officially launched the APRM Targeted Review Report on Youth Unemployment at the Namibia State House in Windhoek.The launch was attended by notable dignitaries that included an APRM delegation consisting of Ambassador Ombeni Y. Sefue, Lead APR Panel Member for the Republic of Namibia, Ms. Chido Mpemba, African Union Youth Envoy, Republic of Namibia, Ambassador Wilfried I. Emvula, Chair of the National Governing Council in the Republic of Namibia and APRM Continental Secretariat Staff.
H.E. Vice President welcomed Ambassador Ombeni Y. SEFUE and Prof. Eddy MALOKA and virtual participants to the launch. He further highlighted the willingness of the Republic of Namibia and other stakeholders to fully implement the recommendations of the APRM report and report annually on the progress.
Prof Maloka congratulated the government of Namibia for fostering a culture of freedom of expression and for being committed to offering redress to youth who look for meaningful employment. “The candor of the youth and the willingness of officials to listen to their grievances were remarkable. All APRM Reviews seek to be objective and inclusive of as many stakeholders’ voices as possible. In this regard, the climate of openness that characterized the discussions contributed immensely to the success of the Targeted Review” he said.
In responding to the scourge of youth unemployment, the APRM Report suggests the Republic of Namibia implement the following:
- Establishment of the Youth Programme Coordination and Implementation Unit: i.e ‘Youth Programmes Coordination and Implementation Unit’ under the Office of the President.
- Consolidation of funding across ministries and government agencies
- Monitoring and evaluation of all targeted programmes that will create youth employment
- Development of an information support system and database that will provide information on the composition and specificities of youth segments and groups in the country at national, regional, urban and rural levels. This should be based at the ‘Youth Programmes Coordination and Implementation Unit
- Reforming the education system
- Strengthening Technical and Vocational Training Education
- Legislation on Procurement and local content
- Strengthening agro-based value chains and value addition for youth employment
- Establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund
H.E. Ambassador Ombeni Y. Sefue, Lead APR Panel Member for the Republic of Namibia thanked the people of Namibia for the willingness to share their experiences with responding to youth unemployment. He further commended the APRM Namibia National Secretariat for diligently serving the people of Namibia and Africa.
