Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare, on behalf of President Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah, has officially launched the End Learning Poverty for All in Africa campaign, in which the country will strive to improve learning challenges among learners, especially those under the age of 10.

Launched in 2024 by the African Union, the campaign aims to assist all African children to access quality education that enables them to read, comprehend a simple text, and solve basic mathematical problems.

“In Namibia, we recognise that, despite significant strides in access to education, far too many children are not achieving foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of primary school. Data from recent assessments have highlighted learning gaps that require urgent attention, particularly in rural, informal settlements, and marginalised communities. It is our national duty to ensure that no child is left behind, regardless of their socio-economic background,” Ndaitwah says.

Ndaitwah reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2016–2025), and the Agenda 2063.

“The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture has already begun taking critical steps to address this. Through curriculum reforms, investment in early childhood development, teacher capacity building, and the rollout of assessments such as the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), we are laying the groundwork for measurable improvement. We are particularly focused on ensuring that all children, from the earliest years, are given the best possible start through accessible, inclusive, and high-quality early learning opportunities. These efforts must now be scaled up and accelerated.”

Namibia now joins the likes of Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria on this campaign.