Uukwiyu-Uushona- In a quest to bring services closer to the people and to grow the local economy, Oshana Regional Council hosted a market and public service day at Uukwiyu-Ushona constituency last Tuesday.

The day provided an opportunity for the locals to market their produce and also for government and private institutions to give information and promote their services to the public.

Oshana governor Elia Irimari, at the official opening, said the event symbolises a significant step in fostering collaboration, engagement and unity between public service institutions, the private sector and the community. “By establishing such business relations, we empower our communities to take ownership of their economic growth and prosperity. The essence of today’s event is to promote inclusivity and to provide entrepreneurs and service providers a platform where they can come together to serve the public,” the governor said.

In addition, the governor said initiatives such as these demonstrate the region’s commitment to a transparent, accountable and community-driven development.

“We are encouraging meaningful engagement which is key to addressing the needs of our people and fostering sustainable development,” the governor said.

Irimari said the event reaffirms their commitment to building a region that thrives on partnerships and collective development.

The governor urged the participants and exhibitors to engage and build lasting connections.

“Together, we can continue to bring services closer to our people and unlock the full potential of our region,” he said.

An exhibitor at the market day, Emilia Shikongo from Ehafo village in the constituency said she was very happy with the opportunity.

“This is a good platform to exhibit our goods. Although business is still picking up, we are happy because we can share ideas with fellow exhibitors and get information from the government institutions here.  We encourage the regional council to continue promoting services such as these,” Shikongo said.

*Nuusita Ashipala is an information officer at the MICT Oshana.