The Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Dr Sanet Steenkamp, officially inaugurated the newly appointed Board of Directors for the National Youth Service (NYS) on Monday.
The appointments were formally made by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to lead the governance and strategic direction of the youth development agency.
According to a statement released by the Ministry, the new board will be chaired by Nicolars Nyambe Tembwe, with Ndahambelela Ndoroma-Ipinge serving as Deputy Chairperson. Major-General Anne-Marie Nainda has also been re-appointed to serve another term on the board.
The full membership of the newly inaugurated NYS Board of Directors includes: Nicolars Nyambe Tembwe, Ndoroma-Ipinge and board member Major-General Anne-Marie Nainda, Colonel Joel Akudhehenga, Clementine Lucelle Ferris, Dr. Sartorius Von Bach, Jaugue Seubel Jansen, Jean-Pierre Bezuidenhout and Surita Savage.
Steenkamp congratulated the Board and urged members to serve with integrity, sound judgment and commitment to the public interest and emphasised their responsibility for strategic direction, oversight, accountability and policy guidance.
“Inclusion, innovation and impact are key priority areas, because NYS opportunities must remain accessible to young Namibians across all regions and its programmes must continuously evolve to provide young people with skills relevant to the changing world of work, including digital, entrepreneurial, technical and vocational competencies.”
She also called for a greater focus on outcomes, and that the success of the Service should not be measured only by the number of young people recruited and trained, but also by their progression into further education, employment and sustainable livelihoods, as well as the contribution they make to their communities.
“Approximately 18,000 young people applied for the 17th Recruit Intake of 2026, demonstrating continued demand for NYS opportunities. The new Board should strengthen oversight, safeguard public resources, and ensure that NYS is stronger, more effective and better positioned to fulfill its mandate at the end of its tenure.”
