When President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah walks up to the marble podium of the United Nations General Assembly for her maiden address, she will not simply be speaking for Namibia. She will carry the voice of a young African democracy with a hard-won independence and a people who have known both the scars of colonialism and the exhilaration of self-determination. Her speech will be more than a ceremonial debut; it is an opportunity to show the world what Namibia stands for and what it demands of a multilateral system under strain.
This is a moment heavy with symbolism. Namibia has travelled a remarkable road in just three and a half decades of independence. Yet at home the journey is unfinished. Our economy, though stable, remains hostage to extreme income inequality, among the highest in the world. Youth unemployment is stubbornly high. Too many rural families still live without reliable water or electricity. Climate change is already biting through harsher droughts and creeping desertification. If the President’s words in New York are to resonate, they must speak with honesty about these realities while charting a credible path forward.
First, she must outline a clear domestic agenda. Economic diversification can no longer be a slogan. Namibia’s future cannot depend solely on uranium or diamonds. We need a bold plan to grow sectors like agriculture, tourism, creative industries and the emerging green hydrogen economy. The President can signal that Namibia intends to become a southern African hub for renewable energy, building not just solar and wind projects but the technical skills to operate them. This is how we generate sustainable jobs for the thousands of young Namibians who graduate into uncertainty each year.
Youth empowerment must therefore be central to her message. The promise of free tertiary and vocational education from 2026 is more than a social good; it is a national investment. But education without opportunity breeds frustration. The President should pair the education pledge with a concrete jobs plan, internships, digital-skills programmes, and incentives for small business formation. She must tell the world that Namibia is ready to partner with investors and development agencies that share this vision.
Alongside economic growth stands the urgent need to strengthen governance. Corruption scandals in recent years have shaken public trust. President Nandi-Ndaitwah has already signalled her determination to restore integrity in public life. In New York she can reinforce that commitment, making it clear that Namibia will meet international standards of transparency in natural-resource contracts and public procurement. This is not merely an internal housekeeping matter: global investors, aid partners and ordinary citizens all need assurance that the nation’s wealth will benefit the many, not the few.
No domestic agenda is complete without a forthright stance on gender equality. As Namibia’s first woman head of state, the President embodies the very change she champions. She can use the UN stage to call for equal pay, stronger protection against gender-based violence, and greater representation of women in political and economic decision-making. By doing so she will speak not only to Namibian women, but to millions of women across the developing world who still struggle for full recognition.
But a UNGA address is not only about the home front; it is a platform to shape global discourse. Namibia’s credibility as a country that emerged from colonial domination gives it moral authority in today’s multilateral debates. The President should place climate justice at the heart of her remarks. Our semi-arid nation is already on the front lines of global warming: longer droughts, bush encroachment and water scarcity threaten food security and livelihoods. Namibia’s call should be clear and urgent: wealthy nations must honour their commitments to climate finance, technology transfer and capacity-building so that countries like ours can adapt and transition to a green economy without sacrificing development.
Linked to climate justice is the broader question of global inequality. Even as some economies surge, the gulf between rich and poor, between the global North and South, and within nations, continues to widen. The President can lend her voice to the growing call for reform of the international financial architecture: fairer trade rules, debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries, and stronger mechanisms to curb illicit financial flows. These are not abstract issues; they shape whether Namibia and its African peers can invest in schools, hospitals and infrastructure.
Peace and human rights must be another pillar. Namibia’s own history, achieved through negotiation rather than prolonged civil war, positions it as a credible advocate for conflict resolution and multilateral diplomacy. From the ongoing crises in the Sahel to the tragic wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the world needs voices that argue for dialogue and the protection of civilians. The President should reaffirm Namibia’s commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, insisting that women must be central to peacebuilding efforts everywhere. She can also speak out for the protection of minorities, refugees and displaced people, making clear that human dignity is not negotiable.
Finally, she should challenge both the developed and developing worlds to renew faith in multilateralism itself. The UN, born from the ashes of the Second World War, is under pressure from great-power rivalry and a rising tide of nationalism. Namibia can remind the Assembly that the United Nations remains the best hope for collective action, whether on climate change, pandemics or sustainable development. A small nation with a loud moral voice can sometimes remind the giants why they built this institution in the first place.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s maiden speech will be judged by its candour and its courage. It should be honest about Namibia’s own unfinished business, ambitious in its vision for shared prosperity, and firm in calling the world to higher ground. If she seizes the moment, she will not only introduce herself to the international community; she will also show Namibians at home that their country is ready to lead, to partner and to dream on a global scale.
Her words can serve as a bridge, between past and future, between national priorities and international responsibilities. In doing so, she will affirm a simple truth: that Namibia’s story of struggle and triumph is not merely our own. It is part of the world’s story, and the world will be richer if it listens.
