Erongo youth fund pays out N$17 million

So far, 47 beneficiaries in the Erongo region have received N$17 million from the National Youth Development Fund through the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), governor Nathalia /Goagoses says.One applicant, however, told President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah last week that the office handling their application has only two staff./Goagoses gave the figures while welcoming the president at Friday evening’s town hall meeting in Mondesa, Swakopmund. She said the region aims to draw at least N$50 million from the national fund.“The funds are still available, opportunities are still there,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said, adding that application forms are available at the governor’s office.The president said government listened when young people complained about the original age limit of 35.“We understood and we increased so that we can capture more people,” she said.She singled out a filling station in Dâures and a young doctor’s surgery in Erongo as projects funded through the fund.Delays and frustrationAn applicant for an agricultural project said they were among the first to apply when the fund was launched but are still at the third stage of getting responses.“And we were told they have received [between] 1 000 to 2 000 applications. And there are only two in the office,” the applicant told the president.Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged that not all applicants have received responses.“I’m really asking those responsible to have a system which can give even the response of acknowledgement or even to indicate the weakness of your project,” she said.A resident asked how information about training opportunities in the petroleum sector can reach those who need it.The fund was launched by Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare in Gobabis in September last year. Namibian Sun reported at the time that its first N$14.8 million went to projects expected to create 315 jobs.At the time, Ngurare urged the institutions running the fund to be enablers rather than stumbling blocks to young people.Republikein reported that the fund was initially limited to people aged 18 to 35; the limit was later raised to 45. Nationally, the fund has received about 13 809 applications, with N$135 million in loans approved and N$90.8 million paid out, according to the finance ministry. Access pointsKornelia Shilunga, head of the upstream petroleum unit in the Office of the President, said PetroFund scholarship adverts are now sent through governors’ offices and regional councils, and are also available online.Adverts for master’s degrees in oil and gas management and in energy economics and law closed on 30 October. Those for petroleum and other engineering fields, ICT and robotics closed on 6 November. A master’s in manufacturing engineering, specialising in welding, offered with the University of Namibia, closes on 16 November.

Erongo youth fund pays out N$17 million

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-10

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Erongo youth fund pays out N$17 million

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-10

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