President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia presented the country’s first progress report on implementing its National Programme of Action to address youth unemployment during the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Peer Review Forum on February 13, 2026.
In her address, President Nandi-Ndaitwah congratulated Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on his election as Forum Chairperson and praised outgoing Chair Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for his leadership. She also commended Sierra Leone, Togo, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and São Tomé and PrÃncipe for their review reports, urging full implementation of their action plans.
The report covers progress from December 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025, responding to six key recommendations from Namibia’s Targeted Review Report on youth unemployment:
– Establishing coordination mechanisms for funded programs across government entities.
– Reforming education with focus on early childhood and entrepreneurship.
– Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
– Implementing procurement and local content policies effectively.
– Bolstering agro-based value chains and value addition.
– Creating the Welwitschia Fund from extractive resource proceeds for youth.
Under Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6, 2025-2030) – themed “Fostering Economic Growth, Inclusiveness and Resilience for Sustainable Development”, the government mandated apprenticeships, internships, and graduate internships. Public entities must hire at least 15 apprentices, 25 interns and 25 graduate interns for periods up to two years, with monthly stipends to build practical skills and boost employability.
The program expanded to the private sector via the National Internship Programme and Youth Tax Allowance, offering tax breaks to employers while providing on-the-job training for school-leavers, TVET, and university graduates. President Nandi-Ndaitwah inaugurated the first National Public-Private Forum in October 2025 to align efforts on youth empowerment.
Investments in TVET include new Vocational Training Centres in all 14 regions. A new Subsidised Tertiary Funding Model (STFM) covers 100% tuition for first-time undergraduate students (NQF Levels 5-8), TVET trainees (Levels 1-6), and priority overseas courses.
NDP6 prioritizes creative industries, including a planned film industry city. The TechNovation initiative supports innovation in arts, entertainment, and MSMEs a sector employing 0.6% of the workforce by 2023.
The National Youth Development Fund, launched in 2025, allocates NAD 500 million in collateral-free loans and grants. To date, NAD 62.3 million has funded 140 projects, creating 722 youth jobs. Complementary efforts include Development Bank of Namibia training for over 400 rural youth and 1,500 via the Namibia Youth Credit Scheme.The government is enhancing monitoring to ensure implementation, with a full report circulated to delegates.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah concluded by stressing youth empowerment as Africa’s top challenge: “A continent where young people are uncertain about their future is a continent at risk of failure. Let us not fail Africa, Let us not fail the young people, The youth is our future.”
Namibia reaffirmed its commitment to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
