N$28bn plan targets education overhaul

The Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture Ministry has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to transform Namibia's education sector, expand youth opportunities, and strengthen research and innovation, backed by a N$28 billion budget.

The ministry presented its strategic plan for 2025–2030 and annual plan for 2026/27 during a stakeholder engagement with the National Council, outlining targets ranging from subsidised tertiary education to major investments in schools, sports facilities and digital learning.

It said the vision is to build "an active, skilled and innovative nation characterised by high quality education, excellence in sports, youth empowerment, and vibrant arts and culture for socio-economic growth."

Among the headline commitments is expanding higher education enrolment to 86 000 students during the 2026/27 financial year while increasing the higher education graduation rate to 48%.

The ministry also plans to enrol more than 29 000 trainees in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as part of efforts to better align skills development with labour market demands.

The strategic plan commits government to implementing subsidised tertiary education and increasing access to quality education across all levels. It also aims to increase graduate employability from 66% to 74% by strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions and industry.

Schools, skills and innovation

School performance also features prominently in the plan. For 2026/27, the ministry wants half of Grade 3 learners to achieve basic literacy and numeracy skills, while increasing the proportion of NSSCO learners obtaining at least 25 points in five or more subjects to 45%.

The ministry further plans to accelerate digital learning by connecting 669 educational facilities to the internet, digitising learning material across 34 subjects and making four electronic textbooks available for every subject.

The annual plan targets the construction of 558 education facilities and aims to reduce overcrowding at five schools during the financial year.

Over the broader five-year strategy, government plans to roll out more than 3 528 classrooms, 1 472 early childhood development classrooms, modern schools, hostels, libraries and science laboratories across the country.

Major higher education infrastructure projects include the construction of the NUST Eenhana campus and the Omuthiya Vocational Training Centre, while the research agenda includes an AI Institute, green hydrogen laboratories and an innovation valley.

The ministry further plans to support 4 730 young people through the Namibia Youth Credit Scheme during 2026/27 while assisting 42 constituency youth enterprises. The wider strategic plan envisions financing and mentoring more than 2 800 youth-led businesses between 2025 and 2030.

Government intends to implement 14 mass participation sports programmes, organise 135 cultural events, train 200 arts practitioners and construct 28 constituency sports facilities during the coming financial year.