Statement by H.E. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah President of The Republic of Namibia on the Occasion of the Luncheon Consultation on The Revitalization of National Youth Centres 21 September 2025 New York Ladies and Gentlemen. I join you today at this luncheon focused on our shared belief in holistic youth development through sports as a sure path to inclusive prosperity. In July this year, I officially launched Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6)—our final national plan on the road to Vision 2030, under the theme “Fostering Economic Growth, Inclusiveness and Resilience for Sustainable Development.” It is a people-first roadmap, built on four pillars: economic transformation, human development, environmental sustainability, and effective governance. These align with the SDGs, AU Agenda 2063, and SADC Vision 2050, anchoring our global partnerships in a clear national framework. Among our priorities, economic diversification and digital transformation stand out. We are shifting from reliance on primary industries to building value chains, skills, and innovation. We envision a fully digital government ecosystem by 2030, powered by universal connectivity and a knowledge-based economy. Our objective is to maximise the potential of Namibia's youth population to drive sustainable socio-economic development, through youth empowerment, sport development and the Culture and Creative Industry. In this regard, we aim to improve the lives of our youth for self-actualisation and reliance by improving access to equitable quality information and services towards strengthening their employability. Towards this end, our Government has launched a National Youth Fund, with a capital of 257 million Namibian Dollars, for skills development, including apprenticeship. We want to build the capacity of our young people and enable their increased participation in economic activities. We further aim to professionalise and commercialise sport for sustainable socio-economic development, peace and social inclusion. My desire is to have sports facilities in every constituency in Namibia. The Government plans to build critical infrastructure, create new industries, and ensure a healthier and more productive workforce. In this regard, Namibia was honoured to host the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games in July 2025. Such initiatives not only demonstrate our country’s readiness to increase investments in sports, but they actually reinforce our ambition to building our human capital, in particular our young people. We are delighted to hear about the successes of the Physically Active Youth (PAY) Programme, being run by Dr. Ndimbira-Rosner, which has been running in Katutura, Windhoek, for over 20 years. This initiative, empowers our young people with the support of after school care activities assisting our learners with homework. The cycling development programme run at the centre which has had a tremendous impact on our young people back home. Therefore, as I conclude, I wish to invite our partners to support our government initiatives towards youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, sports development and infrastructure, as well as the PAY Programme. A healthy nation is a productive nation, in order for our young people to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the world, we must join hands to ensure the holistic development of our youth. I thank you.