DAR ES SALAAM – President of Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah arrived in the country on Tuesday for a two-day working visit that is expected to strengthen political, economic and social ties.
The Namibian Head of State landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport at around 17h00. She was received by Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mohamed Thabit Kombo.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah was later received by president Samia Suluhu Hassan at State House in Dar es Salaam, where the two leaders held bilateral talks.
Speaking shortly after their meeting, president Hassan narrated their related journey to presidency that started way back in 1995 when they met in Beijing to champion for the rights of women.
Elaborating, she said both of them once again met in The Netherlands, when they were separately Ministers for Tourism, and at different times also, they became vice presidents of their countries, and currently the chairpersons of their ruling parties and Heads of State.
In the course, she pointed out that the coming of the Namibian’s president will improve economic relations, citing that currently, trade between the two countries stands at 20bn/- in 2023, up from 17bn/- in 2019, adding that still, there is an opportunity to enhance trade between the duo.
President Hassan, hence, invited traders and investors to exploit business opportunities in Tanzania, and vice versa in Namibia.
“For example, focusing on livestock, fishing and tourism, these are the areas Tanzanians and Namibians can work together and advance a lot. Namibia is renowned for exporting meat and Tanzania can also borrow a leaf from them,” she pointed out.
She cited gas and oil exploration and the blue economy as areas that the two should put a lot of emphasis on in their trade relations.
In addition, president Hassan said culture is another aspect that the two countries should exploit including teaching Kiswahili in Namibia.
On her part, Namibian Head of State Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that Tanzania would always be honoured for its liberation struggle for other countries in Africa.
Yesterday, Nandi-Ndaitwah visited the African Liberation Heritage Centre and the University of Dar es Salaam, a symbolic gesture acknowledging Tanzania’s historic contribution to Africa’s liberation struggles and reinforcing ongoing educational and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
While at the university, president Nandi-Ndaitwah delivered a landmark public lecture titled ‘Inspiring Women to Break Barriers in Leadership Positions, a personal experience’.
The lecture offered an incisive reflection on Africa’s development priorities, the importance of inclusive governance and the power of visionary leadership.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah is visiting Tanzanian for the first time since she was sworn in as Namibia’s Head of State on 21 March, this year.
Tanzania and Namibia cherish the long-standing diplomatic and friendly relations that have remained intact for decades. The visit is expected to elevate those ties and explore new opportunities for mutual economic collaboration. – Daily News