The Namibian Deputy Prime Minister, Nandi-Ndaitwah Netumbo, has rallied African governments to create opportunities for young people to stop the endless suffering they go through while looking for jobs abroad.
In some cases, Netumbo, who is also Namibia’s Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, observed that young people have ended up dying on seas as they travel to look for opportunities in Europe.
“Africa has been decolonised for more than six decades now, but we are yet to liberate our continent economically. What we got is political independence, but we still have to decolonise ourselves economically so that African citizens do not continue to live in poverty,” she said.
Addressing the Kampala business community at the office of the Namibian Honorary Consul to Uganda, Godfrey Kirumira, at Nakasero in Kampala on Saturday, Netumbo said young Africans cannot continue to risk their lives to go to other continents in search of jobs. “Jobs must be created in our own continent for the young people.”
Netumbo was among others accompanied by the Namibian Ambassador to Tanzania and Uganda, Lebbius Tobias, and other senior Namibian government officials.
He called for value addition, noting that sending African raw materials unprocessed to other continents, particularly Europe, was a reason young people were drowning in the seas as they look for opportunities there.
“These people are following their jobs that we have created outside there by exporting raw materials. So, with our young entrepreneurs coming up, the whole focus should be Africans to remain in Africa and if they want to go out, it should be their choice, not that our young people are going out there because they are forced by the circumstances,” she said.
She used the occasion to reiterate Namibia’s commitment towards a cordial bilateral cooperation with Uganda, and thanked Kirumira for being at the forefront of maintaining the good relations.
Visas to Namibia
Netumbo said that in line with the African Union protocols, the Namibian government has since directed that visas to the people of the African continent be issued on arrival. “As a continent, we have agreed on the Agenda 2063 as the dream for Africa to become an industrialised continent and that will be the year when we will be celebrating 100 years when the first African country got independence. We are really looking upon our young people to play their part in ensuring that the dream of making Africa an industrialised continent is realised,” she said.
Netumbo visited Nakivubo war memorial stadium, which is currently under redevelopment by businessman Ham Kiggundu. The stadium was built as a monument in remembrance of Ugandans who were killed during World War II.
She said there were plenty of business opportunities in Namibia, particularly in the main areas of agriculture, mining, oil, green hydrogen, fishing and tourism.
On his part, Kirumira re-echoed his commitment to support the deepening of the commercial diplomacy between the two brotherly nations.
Kirumira said the Ugandan business people were eagerly looking to benefit from the opportunities in Namibia, adding that he has already worked to establish necessary networking between business people in Uganda and Namibia.
“To the Ugandan business people, this is the time to benefit from the business and investment opportunities between the two countries,” he said.
Kiggundu informed Netumbo that he was interested in investing in the agricultural value chain, saying this will benefit many young people in both countries.
