Rudolf Gaiseb
The Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth , Sports, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to youth development, placing strong emphasis on expanding access to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a key pathway for empowerment.
Speaking at the opening of the Commonwealth Youth Ecosystem Stakeholders Dialogue on Monday, she said youth development is being prioritised through initiatives that improve vocational skills and increase opportunities for young people to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.
“We have prioritised the promotion of digital skills and youth infrastructure development, including the construction of multipurpose youth cent res and skills training workshops as part of our broader commitment to inclusive education,” she said.
Steenkamp highlighted the role of the National Youth Fund in providing more access to financing for youth-owned informal and micro-enterprises, giving young entrepreneurs the means to start and expand their ventures.
“Namibia is a youthful nation. Over 60% of our population is under 35. In our context, this is not just a demographic statistic. It is a strong call to action,” she said.
“Our young people represent strength, talent, creativity and resilience. They deserve systems that reflect their realities and ambitions,” she said.
She stressed the importance of regional and international collaboration.
They called for platforms that allow Namibian youth to co-create solutions and lead confidently at both continental and global levels.
“We also recognise that no country can walk this path alone. The challenges facing young people, such as unemployment, mental health, access to finance, digital exclusion and the climate crisis, are shared. Therefore, our responses must be collective, collaborative and bold,” she added.
The dialogue, the first of its kind in Namibia, has brought together over 100 youth leaders, policymakers and stakeholders from across the 56 Commonwealth nations under the theme ‘Reimagining Youth Leadership: Strengthening Systems for Sustainable Impact’.
Co – hosted by the Namibian government and the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), the forum is set to culminate in the creation of the Windhoek Declaration, a youth-informed outcome document aimed at shaping future engagement and action across the Commonwealth.
CYC African Regional Representative Rosy Schaneck said the declaration would not be merely hopeful but a statement of determined intent. “Future generations will look back and say that is where it began,” she stated.
“For too long, youth leadership has been confined to panel discussions, stripped of power and offered applause instead of authority. We are here to dismantle what no longer serves us and build a new blueprint for global youth leadership,” she added.
CYC chairperson Joshua Opey highlighted the need for increased institutional support for youth-led organisations like the CYC.
He noted that a lack of ongoing resources often leaves good ideas unrealised.
“Exe cut ives are of ten constrained and forced to shelve the most ambitious pursuits in the best interest of our constituents. Without dedicated support, our impact remains limited,” he said.
Opey urged governments to allocate dedicated budget lines for National Youth Delegates to enable the implementation of Commonwealth programmes at the national and local levels.
The week-long forum, which concludes on Friday, features high-level discussions on innovation, climate action, education, economic inclusion and civic participation.
-rgaiseb@nepc.com.na