Young people must devise ideas and use their acquired skills to create innovative businesses, President Hage Geingob has said.
He said in a statement issued on Friday in celebration of International Youth Day that Namibian youth should have the primary responsibility to serve as champions for their own development by fully taking part in the socio-economic development in their communities and the country as a whole.
Geingob noted that government has created an environment in which young people can thrive, and remains committed to providing a safe environment for the country’s children and youth to learn, develop and grow.
“As a government, the largest percentage of our national budget is dedicated to developing young people in the fields of education, agriculture, entrepreneurship and other fields that are pivotal to our national development,” he added.
By appointing young people, the president said, his administration has gone a long way towards ensuring youth inclusion in the executive and legislative arms of government.
Regardless of the progress made, Geingob believes that more youth should be included in leadership structures so that they can be represented and express their views on important issues.
Government cannot solve all of the issues which affect young people on its own, and young people and the government must thus commit to working together.
“Namibian youth should foster a culture of unity and nation-building by shunning the “isms” of tribalism, racism and regionalism.”
The head of state further assured the youth that their government will continue to live by its responsibilities to accompany and support young people in their endeavours to become productive citizens in the Namibian house.
Geingob also urged Namibians to take advantage of all the government programmes and initiatives that seek to advance the interests of young people.
These programmes include the Credit Guarantee Scheme, which provides collateral for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises; the SME Financing Strategy, an offspring of the Namibia Financial Sector Strategy and a joint partnership framework between public and private sector financiers; and the agriculture ministry’s skills-based lending facility.
Celebrated since 2000, International Youth Day aims to recognise the voices, actions and initiatives of young people. The theme this year is ‘Intergenerational solidarity: creating a world for all ages’.