Obrein Simasiku
Omuthiya-Norwegians have expressed an interest to see more Namibian people studying in their country, specifically those from Oshikoto Region, in order to benefit from a twinning agreement signed in 2015.
The five-year agreement was entered into by Oshikoto Region and Norway’s Hedmark County to foster areas of local economic development, small and medium enterprises, agriculture, youth and library development.
“We would like to see more Namibian, especially those from Oshikoto Region, study in our country just like other scholars from different parts of the world, since we are internationally accredited as educational providers,” stated Dag Roenning, chairperson of the Hedmark County Council during a visit to Oshikoto Regional Council, aimed at reviewing, renewing and expanding the network of information based on the existing memorandum of understanding.
Roenning was accompanied by a delegation of professionals specialising in the areas of mutual cooperation contained within agreement. He also met with Governor Henock Kankoshi.
In terms of SME development, Roenning said that in future they hope to establish a business in the country for the benefit of the two peoples, although this will depend on the availability of funds. In the same vein he tasked his Namibian counterparts to do the homework and find out what are the obstacles likely to hinder such undertaking and theprocedure to be followed.
These were some of the sentiments shared by Roenning and his team, following an update from Kankoshi, who seized the opportunity to highlight some of the challenges in the region, such as the lack of electricity in some rural public schools and the water crisis.
Hedmark had in the past worked with the Erongo Region in a similar agreement. The delegation arrived in the country on Saturday and will return next weekend. Today they will visit the directorate of education in Ondangwa to deliberate on library development cooperation and for a presentation of library projects.
On Wednesday they will meet Tsumeb Mayor Veueza Kasiringua, where they will also visit the museum and cultural village.
“These kinds of meeting are necessary in strengthening the bond of this agreement. It is so crucial that we strengthen people-to-people relations, hence enabling us to share views and information that can help us develop, instead of instances where people come to a meeting to talk discuss issues of wars and conflicts,” Roenning concluded.