More young people needed at decision-making table -Teofelus

ESTER KAMATIWINDHOEKA recent United Nations Economic Commission for Africa discussion on youth in leadership provided a platform for young change makers to discuss the youth’s role in economic development.Africa’s youngest ministers and members of parliament, including Namibia’s deputy information minister Emma Theofelus, were among the delegates.Theofelus said more youth involvement is needed in discussions about the future and decisions which impact it.“Emma Theofelus, as one young person in a parliament, in an executive of members of cabinet and deputy ministers, is not enough,” she said.“We need more Emmas on the continent to move the needle, otherwise my voice will continue to be drowned in the voices of those who have been in the system for longer.“Young people being in the majority on the planet need to be in positions of decision-making. They need to sit at these tables with no delay.”Invest in educationShe added that the realisation of Africa’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) relies heavily on investment in education, technology and making young people self-sustainable individuals who do not have to wait for the job market to absorb them.“Investment in young people will realise our ability to achieve the sustainable development goals,” she said.Theofelus also emphasised the importance of recognising and embracing technology in spheres such as education and business.“The new understanding is that we need to allow emerging technology to guide us in the opportunities that lie ahead.“Systems need to be guided by both generations, otherwise we will have 60% of the population on this continent continuously lagging behind, frustrated and not being put at the decision-making tables. Young people that are angry and frustrated are an unguided missile and as a continent, you cannot build if there is no peace.”Online learningTheofelus said there are some structural challenges in certifying online educational courses.“We have a Qualifications Authority that we’re constantly engaging with so that when people harness the opportunities on the internet and actually get educated, or run businesses on the internet through e-commerce, we have an opportunity for them through the skills they are gaining and actually translate them to get some type of recognition based on the qualifications that they have gained on online universities and courses.”She added that Covid-19 has propelled public and private institutions towards accepting digital transformation in education and trade. “I think more people will appreciate and realise that the Internet of Things and the ability for technology to transform our industries is eminent and our education should also not be left behind because of reluctance of actually accepting that the digital transformation is here and we do not want to be left behind as a continent.”

More young people needed at decision-making table -Teofelus

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

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More young people needed at decision-making table -Teofelus

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

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