Youth and women unemployment, housing, water and educational infrastructure are amongst some of the areas that need attention in the Erongo region, according to its governor, Neville Andre Itope.
Itope, during his State of the Region Address here on Friday, said he would redress these issues by creating a committee of Eminent Persons from the private sector, local authorities and institutions of higher learning, among others.
“This committee will look at practical strategies of generating employment, fast-tracking the issue of housing delivery, water provision and the improvement of the educational infrastructure in the Erongo region. This will be done in line with our National Development Plan (NDP5), the Harambee Prosperity Plan 2, Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” he noted.
To-date, the region has identified seven Youth Entrepreneurial Projects which were selected for funding in all seven Constituencies of the Erongo Region.
The governor’s office, in conjunction with the National Youth Council of Namibia, has also initiated youth engagements within the region, with the first engagement held in Usakos and the next event scheduled for Swakopmund.
“We cannot build the future leadership without adequately capacitating the current youth leadership and as a result, my office successfully hosted the first edition of the Annual Erongo Governors’ Youth Leadership Symposium, where 100 youth leaders participated.”
The symposium touched on contemporary leadership skills, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution, among others issues.
A total amount N.dollars 1.4 million was also granted to five income creating businesses, which were also supported with grants through the Projects Industrial Upgrading and Modernisation Program (IUMP) under the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade.
The businesses, ranging from agro-horticulture to charcoal production, were supported with the provision of the necessary machinery and equipment to increase their production capacities.
The governor added that plans are also underway to construct a gemstone valuation hub in Karibib in order to absorb trainees who graduated in gemstone cutting and polishing from the Karibib Gemstone Centre.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
