George Sanzila
Speaker of the National Assembly Prof. Peter Katjavivi has joined efforts aimed at tackling youth unemployment in the country.
Katjavivi recently led a roundtable meeting with various stakeholders on youth unemployment in Namibia to set up a technical committee to be entrusted with the responsibility to devise strategies to address the crisis.
This will be done by identifying unique economic opportunities offered by each of Namibia’s regions, formulating actionable policy recommendations and collaborating with technical and vocational training institutions to enhance the skills and capacities of young people to become job creators.
In his opening remarks, Katjavivi reiterated the importance of a multi-sectoral approach in tackling the scourge of youth unemployment, adding that Namibia’s future is dependent on the success of young people.
“Our shared purpose is to create a robust framework and strategy that will guide our efforts towards mitigating youth unemployment. Our mission is to set up a strong technical committee, made up of representatives from various institutions with the responsibility of crafting a comprehensive work plan for our initiative. The vibrancy and prosperity of Namibia’s future hinges heavily on the success of our youth,” said the Speaker.
Stakeholders identified include the ministries of labour, urban and rural development, information and communication and youth, as well as bodies of the National Youth Council, UNDP, Unesco, Unicef, Unam and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), among others.
The Speaker further noted that identifying unique economic opportunities existing in each of Namibia’s regions could help in formulating effective policies.
He stressed the need to continuously review progress once the technical committee has commenced with its work, saying, “We are committed to holding regular quarterly review meetings to evaluate the progress of our initiative. These meetings will serve as an opportunity to refine our strategies and ensure we remain on the path towards our goal”.
Katjavivi commended the efforts being made by other role players to address youth unemployment.
“I wish to particularly mention the Targeted Review on Youth Unemployment, which was launched by His Excellency, President Hage Geingob, on 17 November 2021. I wish to thank Ambassador Lineekela Mboti and his team for the work they have done to produce that targeted review.”
The Targeted Review Report that focuses on youth unemployment in Namibia, produced by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) panel, recommended targeted interventions for government to address the crisis, among them, the establishment of a youth programme coordination and implementation unit to consolidate funding across ministries and agencies involved in youth employment creation; the reform of the education system; the reservation of a 30% procurement quota for youth SMEs and the strengthening of agro-based value chains, as well as value additions for youth employment.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources and Community Development Nono Katjingisua added during the meeting that the National Assembly has already started conducting public hearings on youth unemployment after a motion on youth unemployment was tabled and referred to the committee for further investigation in 2022.
Many speakers agreed during the meeting that information on youth unemployment was readily available and that what has been lacking was collaboration and implementation among the stakeholders.
National Youth Council executive chairperson Sharonice Busch warned stakeholders about the dangers of youth unemployment, adding that it could spiral out of control and cause social unrest if not urgently addressed.
Youth unemployment in Namibia is believed to be close to 50%.
*George Sanzila works in the Division: Research, Information, Publications and Editorial Services at the National Assembly*