NANSO sets bold agenda at 19th Congress

Marina Antonio
  • 1 Week Ago

The Namibia National Students’ Organisation (NANSO) has elected Secilia Ambunda as its new president and adopted a series of resolutions aimed at reshaping education and improving conditions for students.

The decisions were taken at NANSO’s 19th National Students’ Congress, held at Eheke Senior Secondary School in the Oshana Region from 20 to 23 August 2026.

The four-day congress, held under the theme “From Access to Excellence: Safeguarding the Legacy of Resolution 16 through Innovation and Student-led Research”, brought together delegates from all 14 regions to discuss youth issues, elect new leadership and set the organisation’s priorities for the next two years.

Opening the congress, Minister in the Presidency Charles Mubita challenged students to turn their leadership experience into practical solutions. “NANSO has proudly been called a school of leadership; there is therefore no time for political hallucinations. We need solutions to every challenge that faces the Namibian industry,” Mubita said.

The congress elected a new executive team led by Ambunda as president, Jerome !Nanuseb as vice-president and Lavinia Leonard as secretary-general.

The new leadership also launched NANSO’s Institutional Strategic Plan 2026–2028, built around seven pillars covering governance, student welfare, research, creative industries and funding.

Student accommodation was among the main issues discussed, with NANSO calling for stronger action to address the shortage of affordable housing for tertiary students. “The students demand affordable, safe and accessible student accommodation, and the Congress expects the government to move from commitments to implementation,” Ambunda said.

The organisation called for the construction of student villages nationwide, enforcement of a Rent Control Bill and measures to address delays in disbursing funding by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).

NANSO also called for curricula to be updated to better prepare students for emerging sectors such as oil and gas and green hydrogen.

“Namibia’s youth must not stand on the sidelines of the country’s economic transformation; we must be equipped to participate, compete and most of all lead it,” the organisation said.

It also urged the modernisation of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) facilities, including greater emphasis on practical production. “Namibia must move beyond consuming what we can produce; we must equip our youth to create, produce and build for ourselves,” it said.

At the basic education level, NANSO resolved to engage the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC) on standardised national school bylaws addressing violence and substance abuse, with an emphasis on non-physical disciplinary measures.

The organisation further called for compulsory civic education from Grade 1 to 12, stronger life-skills programmes and access to professional counselling in schools.

NANSO also called for the restoration and long-term protection of government funding for student-led organisations.

A research task force is expected to be established to benchmark international university standards. The organisation also wants students with disabilities, as well as those studying in creative and agricultural fields, to have greater access to international exchange opportunities.

The resolutions place student welfare, skills development, research and participation in Namibia’s emerging economy at the centre of NANSO’s agenda for the next two years.