Patience Makwele Namibia’s youth unemployment crisis has come under renewed scrutiny, with regional stakeholders calling for more practical opportunities to help young people move from training and government programmes into actual employment. The call was made by Khomas regional governor Sam Nujoma during an African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) validation consultation in Windhoek earlier this […]

Patience Makwele Namibia’s youth unemployment crisis has come under renewed scrutiny, with regional stakeholders calling for more practical opportunities to help young people move from training and government programmes into actual employment. The call was made by Khomas regional governor Sam Nujoma during an African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) validation consultation in Windhoek earlier this week, where he urged stakeholders to give an honest assessment of progress made in addressing challenges facing the country. “Where progress has been made, let it be confirmed,” Nujoma said. His remarks come as the APRM conducts consultations across all 14 regions to assess the implementation of recommendations from Namibia’s Country Review Report, including those relating to youth unemployment and economic opportunities. The country’s youth unemployment rate stood at 44.4% in 2023, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency, while youth unemployment and potential labour combined stood at 61.4%. The situation is more severe in some regions, with Kavango East recording the highest youth unemployment rate at 60.4%, followed by Kavango West at 58.1%. In Omusati, APRM National Governing Council member Elia George Kaiyamo urged participants not to shy away from discussing problems affecting their communities. “Don’t be afraid to speak,” Kaiyamo told participants. Kaiyamo said issues such as unemployment and corruption needed to be discussed openly if the government was to understand where interventions were falling short. “We are here to make sure that we have a collective understanding of how best we can serve our people genuinely,” he said. Omusati governor Immanuel Shikongo called for open and constructive participation during the consultation, saying the process should provide a true reflection of the views and realities of people in the region. Former Omusati governor Erginus Endjala said addressing youth unemployment requires more than ensuring that people have access to food. He argued that employment gives people an income and the freedom to decide how to use it. “Creation of employment where somebody’s getting his money and can decide what to do with the money,” Endjala said. Endjala also questioned whether mechanised agricultural projects are creating enough employment in rural communities. He said large agricultural projects can sometimes require only a small number of workers to operate machinery, limiting the number of jobs created despite the size of the land being cultivated. He called for greater private-sector involvement in agricultural projects, saying businesses have the capital needed to expand production and create employment. Endjala also pointed to the movement of young people from rural areas to towns in search of work. “Why are our kids moving from here to towns.. They are going there to do what? The answer remains simple, they’re migrating for employment,” he said. APRM chief analyst Astro Kabuku said youth unemployment was already identified as a major concern in the mechanism’s first targeted review on youth and employment. He said one of the recommendations was for government and regional councils to provide internship opportunities so young people could gain work experience. The National Youth Development Fund (NYDF) was also established following recommendations from the youth review. The fund provides loans to youth-owned businesses and projects at interest rates of between two and four percent, without requiring collateral. However, access to youth programmes remains a concern in some regions. In //Kharas, Governor’s Youth Desk coordinator Emma Abed recently said applications submitted during the second phase of the NYDF had not received responses from Windhoek, raising concerns about delays in accessing funding. In Kavango East, where youth unemployment was 60.4% in 2023, participants also linked limited opportunities for young people to challenges such as teenage pregnancy and school dropout. Omusati teacher Selma Erastus said young people also need opportunities to gain practical experience. She proposed that National Youth Service (NYS) participants be placed with private companies, including mines, where they could acquire workplace skills. “They have what we call experience from the doing of the work,” Erastus said. She also called for stronger links between schools and the agricultural sector so that learners can gain practical skills and local farmers can have better access to markets. Kabuku said the next targeted APRM review would focus on decentralisation, which he linked to the need to bring services and opportunities closer to communities. He said young people should not always have to leave their villages to access opportunities and government services. The regional consultations will contribute to the APRM’s assessment of Namibia’s progress in implementing recommendations from its Country Review Report. Kaiyamo urged participants to continue raising concerns openly during the consultations. “Let us talk to each other in a frank, open way,” he said.

Patience Makwele Teachers in the Omusati region say they are tired of teaching in makeshift “shacks” (classrooms), with some schools still struggling with basic sanitation, administrative space and facilities needed for practical subjects. The concerns were raised during an African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) validation workshop in the region on Tuesday, where several teachers and […]

Patience Makwele Teachers in the Omusati region say they are tired of teaching in makeshift “shacks” (classrooms), with some schools still struggling with basic sanitation, administrative space and facilities needed for practical subjects. The concerns were raised during an African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) validation workshop in the region on Tuesday, where several teachers and other participants described school infrastructure challenges that they say continue to affect teaching and learning. “We are tired of shacks,” one participant said. Another teacher described the reality behind the formal appearance of educators attending the workshop, saying: “As I’m wearing a suit, I was just coming from a shack’s lesson.” Regional education officials reported in July 2025 that Omusati had 326 shacks as classrooms, alongside 258 prefabricated classrooms. Teachers said the problem extends beyond classrooms, with some schools lacking proper ablution facilities and others struggling with buildings that become unusable during the rainy season. One participant said a school established in 1992 still has no proper ablution facilities, forcing learners and teachers to relieve themselves outside. Omwifi Combined School Principal Efraim Shooka stressed that schools continue to lose teaching time during the rainy season, despite the disruption being predictable. He said learners and teachers are then expected to compensate for the days lost when heavy rains force schools to close. Shooka also questioned the workload carried by junior-primary principals, saying some are expected to teach full-time while managing their schools. “If the principal is teaching 100%, when are they supposed to do the principal’s work?” he asked. Another school principal Selma Erastus said the infrastructure crisis also affects school administration. She described her principal’s office as a storeroom containing sanitary pads, boxes of supplies and other items. Erastus said schools also offer agriculture, life sciences and biology without laboratories or other facilities needed for practical learning. She called for stronger cooperation between government and the private sector to give learners practical exposure, particularly in agriculture. She further suggested that the National Youth Service (NYS) could provide young people with practical placements, while supermarkets should consider reserving shelf space for locally produced agricultural goods. The concerns were consistent with challenges identified in Namibia’s APRM Country Review Report. APRM chief analyst Astro Kabuku said the 2021 review identified 77 issues requiring government action and 177 indicators to measure implementation between 2022 and March 2027. The review covered democratic and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance, and socio-economic development. Kabuku said inadequate infrastructure development, including roads, was among the cross-cutting issues emerging from regional consultations. He urged participants to speak openly about challenges, saying the APRM process was not intended to shame government institutions but to identify areas requiring improvement. The slow pace of decentralisation was also identified as a cross-cutting concern. Kabuku said Namibia adopted decentralisation in 1997 but had so far decentralised only 42 government functions. Former Omusati governor Erginus Endjala similarly raised concerns about centralised decision-making and its impact on regional service delivery, arguing that regional authorities need greater ability to respond to local problems. For teachers, the governance debate is playing out in classrooms and school offices where basic infrastructure remains inadequate. Questions sent to the ministry of education, innovation, youth,sports, arts and culture were not answered by the time of publication.

Sostenus Wilherm Namibia’s commitment to good governance is facing a reality check, with stakeholders in the Omusati Region urged to critically assess the country’s progress in implementing governance reforms rather than simply celebrating achievements. Omusati governor Immanuel Shikongo has called for an open assessment of Namibia’s implementation of recommendations under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), particularly those addressing youth unemployment, housing, land delivery, rural electrification and decentralisation. Shikongo made the call on Tuesday in Outapi during a workshop to validate a progress report on the implementation of recommendations contained in Namibia’s Country Review Report. “We are gathered here today to review and validate the progress made in implementing the recommendations contained in the Country Review Report for Namibia,” Shikongo said. The Country Review Report was developed in 2021, peer-reviewed by the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government in February 2022, and officially launched by former President Nangolo Mbumba on 7 March 2024 for implementation. According to Shikongo, the launch demonstrated Namibia’s commitment to fully implementing the recommendations contained in the report. Established in 2003, the APRM is an African Union mechanism aimed at promoting good governance across the continent through country self-assessments, the identification of governance gaps and policy interventions. Namibia acceded to the APRM on 28 January 2017 and has since completed two review reports, with implementation of their recommendations still ongoing. Shikongo said the recommendations address some of the country’s most persistent challenges. “These recommendations address long-term national priorities such as youth unemployment, rural electrification, housing, land delivery, decentralization, and other socio-economic challenges,” he said. Youth unemployment was among the issues highlighted by the governor. Namibia’s Targeted Review Report on Youth Unemployment, undertaken in 2019, examined the underlying causes of persistent unemployment among young people. Shikongo pointed to the establishment of the National Youth Development Fund during the 2025/2026 financial year as one of the government’s responses to the challenge. He said the Omusati Region has also benefited from the fund. The validation workshop assessed Namibia’s governance performance across four thematic areas: democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance, and socio-economic development. The democracy and political governance component examines issues including political governance, the rule of law and elections, while economic governance focuses on the management of the country’s economy. Corporate governance covers the conduct of public and private enterprises, including good corporate citizenship. Socio-economic development focuses on citizens’ welfare, including social protection, education, health, employment and food security. Shikongo urged stakeholders to ensure that the validation exercise provides an honest assessment of Namibia’s progress. “I therefore encourage all participants, in the true spirit of nation-building, to engage openly and constructively in validating the Progress Report,” he said. He said the exercise should not only confirm progress already made, but should also identify governance challenges that may have been left out of the draft report. “Your contributions are invaluable, not only in confirming the progress already achieved but also in identifying additional governance challenges and development priorities that may not yet be adequately reflected in the draft Progress Report,” Shikongo said. The workshop brought together regional and local authority councillors, traditional authorities, government ministries, offices and agencies, private institutions, academia, members of the APRM National Governing Council and the media. The broad participation is intended to ensure that the progress report reflects the experiences and concerns of stakeholders beyond central government. Shikongo said the APRM recommendations must ultimately translate into policies and practices that improve governance and advance development. He called on participants to engage freely and constructively, stressing that their input could strengthen governance both in Omusati and nationally. “Let us engage freely and constructively so that our collective contributions strengthen governance and advance development in the Region in particular and the country in general,” Shikongo said.

APRM ASSESSES NAMIBIA'S GOVERNANCE PROGRESS NBC Online Tue, 09/08/2026 - 09:55

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) has held regional consultations at the |Khomas Regional Council office in Windhoek to assess Namibia's progress in implementing recommendations from its Country Review Report and National Programme of Action. Speaking at the Khomas Regional Council, Sam Nujoma, the governor of the |Khomas Region, says that the APRM exists to encourage member states to adopt policies and cooperate with one another to implement them. "As a continent ever leading the post-colonial world, the African Peer Review Mechanism exists to encourage member states to adopt policies, standards, and practices that lead to quality possibilities, sustainable development, high economic growth, and inclusive cooperation on our continent. It is an African instrument intended to go on terror, through which we assess ourselves and submit that assessment to the gentlemen of our case." Nujoma says that it is imperative that the priorities of the African Union are allowed so that there is a clear path to advance what the continent has set for itself. APRM National Governing Council member Ambassador Wilfred Emvula said the consultations are assessing progress since the 2024 report while identifying remaining challenges and areas needing intervention. "We adhere to accounting for progress made since the launch of the country review report in 2024 and to collectively assessing whether the actions undertaken by the government and the other stakeholders have sufficiently been addressed so that the governance challenges have also been identified in that review." He stressed the need to determine whether government programmes are making a meaningful impact on communities. Dr. Alfons Witbeen, Director of Operations, APRM National Secretariat, emphasised the biggest challenges currently slowing down implementation of the National Programme of Action. "The biggest challenge is that APRM is still new to Namibia, so people do not understand the essence of good governance. So we are busy with our advocacy in terms of what the ultimate aim of the African Peer Review Mechanism is, which is for us to have a country that is well governed. And the implementers of the national plan of action are different ministries and agencies. So we just came from almost all the regions where we provided feedback in terms of what the findings of the review vote were as well as the target review report." The review also covers decentralisation, access to information, gender equality, gender-based violence and access to justice, as well as economic issues such as green hydrogen, revenue collection and the mining value chain. The findings will contribute to a progress report expected to be presented by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to fellow African leaders.

APRM VALIDATES NAMIBIA REVIEW PROGRESS NBC Online Mon, 09/07/2026 - 16:48

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) has held a consultation workshop in Oshakati to validate the progress report on Namibia's country review.  The evaluation measures Namibia across four key areas: democracy, economic management, corporate governance, and socio-economic development. The consultation targeted validating findings first outlined for the Oshana Region in 2021. Socio-economic discussions initially highlighted statistics, noting that Oshana recorded 560 gender-based violence cases between 2018 and 2020.  Child marriages, teenage pregnancies, and high school dropout rates were also flagged as major regional challenges. On a positive development, stakeholders praised the region's referral hospital service. Another issue raised in Oshana was that people with disabilities kept 'hidden' in houses, not attending school, as special schools were in Windhoek. This was refuted by participants who made it clear that Oshana has Eluwa Special School, where children with visual, hearing, and intellectual impairments were accommodated. The region also benefits from a regional Anti-Corruption Commission office. There was, however, a need to improve sanitation in Oshana in both urban and rural areas, healthcare, housing, water and electricity.  On democracy and political governance, Namibia earned good accolades for its progressive constitution, maintenance of peaceful co-existence and cordial relations with its neighbours through established bilateral commissions to settle disputes. Namibia earned praise for championing civil rights, political gender equality, and legal protections for refugees and vulnerable groups. The country was also commended for implementing progressive policies to expand education access while actively fighting poverty, unemployment, and systemic inequality. Oshana Governor Hofni Iipinge commended APRM, saying since its establishment in 2003, it has become one of the most important African instruments in ensuring good governance. "The APRM supports member states in strengthening democratic governance, accountability and sustainable development. Today marks 9 years of Namibia accented to the APRM on 28 January 2017. During this period Namibia successfully completed two review reports with the implementation of their recommendation ongoing." Ongwediva Mayor Naemi Amuthenu used the platform to highlight severe financial bottlenecks. "We have our own oxidation ponds during the rainy season; they overflow to the communities' residences. They get frustrated because we could not afford to establish the water treatment plant; the fund is not there. There is a need for equitable structured funding for all the local authorities because all the residents need the very same services." Oshakati Mayor Leonard Hango urged the central government to take full ownership of servicing urban land, noting that the financial burden has become entirely unsustainable for local authorities.

وتهدف المؤسسة التي يدعمها الاتحاد الأفريقي إلى توفير تقييم بديل للجدارة الائتمانية للحكومات أعلن مستشار كبير للاتحاد الإفريقي اليوم الأربعاء أن الاتحاد الإفريقي سيطلق وكالة تصنيف ائتماني على مستوى القارة في موريشيوس في 5 أكتوبر. تستعد الآلية الأفريقية لمراجعة النظراء (APRM)، وهي مبادرة يدعمها الاتحاد الأفريقي، لإطلاق الوكالة الأفريقية للتصنيف الائتماني (AfCRA) حيث تسعى الحكومات في جميع أنحاء القارة إلى معالجة تكاليف الاقتراض المرتفعة.

アフリカ連合（ＡＵ）が支援する取り組みである「アフリカ相互審​査メカニズム（ＡＰＲＭ）」が１０月にアフリカ大陸全体‌を対象とする信用格付け機関を設立する見通しだ。ＡＵの上級顧問が２６日、明らかにした。

Africa To Launch Continental Credit Ratings Agency In October To Cut Borrowing Costs NAIROBI, August 26 (Naija247news) — The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), an African Union-backed initiative, will launch a continent-wide credit ratings agency in October as African governments seek to reduce borrowing costs and challenge the dominance of global ratings firms. Paul Sikazwe, technical adviser on debt to the African Union Commission, said the new agency would be launched in Mauritius on October 5.

APRM CONSULTS KAVANGO EAST COMMUNITIES NBC Online Mon, 08/24/2026 - 16:55

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) held a consultation in Kavango East Region's Mashare Constituency with the communities on key governance and development challenges. The engagement mainly focused on youth empowerment, service delivery, inclusive participation, decentralisation and challenges facing the region while validating progress under Namibia's Country Review Report. "Our process is not to name or shame anybody, because the problem the governance challenges we face as Namibians can only be resolved by us Namibians. No one else will resolve our problems; whether it is education or health, it is us who solve them. We should discuss them," stated APRM National Secretariat's Chief Executive Officer, Lineekela Mboti. Mboti noted that one of the challenges facing Namibia is tribalism and regionalism as well as ineffective implementation of national policies. The Councillor for Mashare Constituency, Petrus Kashumali, applauded the Government for establishing the National Youth Development Fund to empower the youth. "We are pleased to note that the government established the National Youth Development Funds during the 2025/2026 financial year, from which the Kavango East Region has also benefited. I must also say from which the Mashare constituency youth benefited." The community also raised their concerns. "The teenage pregnancy has reached alarming levels within the area, leading to high dropouts among female learners, and this one spike directly attributes to two main factors, especially in my area. We have a lack of contraceptives in my area for those who know where Shambyu school is; you know that very well that the health facility which is available is Catholic, and Catholics, due to the religion, do not provide contraceptives. For the learners to get contraceptives, they have to hike or foot to Mashare clinic or to Kayengona, and it is very far." "Regarding the food security in the Kavango East Region, we have so many green schemes, but yet people are from hunger-associated causes like what happened at Kayova. We therefore recommend that the government invest in these green schemes so that they produce affordable food for the communities to buy, because we can't afford to buy food from the local markets."

APRM ASSESSES GOVERNANCE PROGRESS IN ||KHARAS NBC Online Sat, 08/22/2026 - 11:53

The African Peer Review Mechanisms (APRM) National Governing Council has engaged stakeholders in the ||Kharas Region to assess progress on the implementation of government interventions outlined in the country review report. The report and its National Programme of Action, launched in 2024, identifies needed interventions, responsibilities and priorities aimed at consolidating Namibia's governance achievements wheel, addressing areas requiring improvement. The inputs from the validation engagement held in Keetmanshoop will be incorporated into the Progress Report to be submitted by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to the APRM Heads of State Forum in January next year. “We did a targeted review on youth unemployment, and in that review report we have brought out a number of elements that would address the unemployment within our youth. Some of them you have already come across. You have been called to go and apply for money to put your businesses through the youth fund. It is one of the recommendation we have made in that report.” These were some of the sentiments shared by participants of the validation engagement. “I love the fact that the Ministry of Finance came up with the National Youth Development Fund, it is working, and it is a solution towards the high unemployment rate. But, my issue, as somebody in the governor's office that receives all these applications. And we send them to Windhoek. Since the second phase these applications took place the 24 of November last year. Up until know we don't have responses,” added the Coordinator of the ||Kharas Governor Youth Desk Emma Abed. The APRM National Governing Council commended the ||Kharas Region for the establishment of the Governor Youth Desk in alignment with the Country Review Report.

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