ONGWEDIVA - The University of Namibia’s Jose’ Eduardo dos Santos (JEDS) Campus at Ongwediva has started the expansion of its hostel to add 96 double rooms.
The construction is sponsored by the German KFW Development Bank to the tune of approximately N$90 million.
The hostel block will be constructed by Jiangsu Zhengtai Construction Group in a joint venture with a Namibian company Supeco Trading cc.
The engineering and information technology campus at Ongwediva was inaugurated in 2009 with 42 registered students and a hostel with 126 beds. The number of students has since increased to 450 today.
The construction will be completed in 18 months.
Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, who is the chancellor of the University of Namibia, officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony last week.
Mbumba said the construction of the hostel will ensure adequate accommodation for its students and at the same time increase the number of students on campus.
About 30% of the students at the JEDS campus are from SADC countries and beyond, hence they would benefit greatly from the provision of adequate student hostel accommodation on campus.
Mbumba also appealed for sponsorship to construct the remaining two phases of the campus.
“I would like to appeal to other friendly nations to support the development of this great engineering campus so that the construction of the remaining two phases can be realised and thereby empower the faculty to produce more graduate engineers,” said Mbumba.
Previously, the German government sponsored N$150 million for the construction of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department building, now known as the German wing.
German Ambassador to Namibia, Herbert Beck in his statement said social infrastructure such as hostels are a prerequisite for the Unam campus to rise to its full potential and cater for a student life, which provides not only excellent study but also good living conditions.