NBII launches second UNESCO youth mobile initiative

The Namibia Business Innovation Institute (NBII) and its Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs) division, in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held the second round of the UNESCO Youth Mobile last week.

The initiative was launched last year with the aim to equip local youth, particularly young women, with the skills and confidence to develop, promote and sell relevant mobile applications that contribute to sustainable development.

The initiative is specifically designed for unemployed youth between the ages of 18 and 35 who are committed to attend on a full-time basis. Collin Hangula, one of the participants who succesfully completed the programme last year, has excelled to becoming a trainer.

The current training, with 40 participants, kicked off in May and will end in October.

“It is public knowledge that many public and private institutions in Namibia rely heavily on foreign software developers to develop local systems due to the lack of local expertise. I am, therefore, encouraging you, the participants, to start filling that gap in the future,” said Dr Tjama Tjivikua, the NUST Vice-Chancellor during the opening ceremony.

“The five months of training will surely allow UNESCO Youth Mobile to equip young people with the skills that are needed to tackle the challenges of the 21st century,” said Dr Jean-Pierre IIlboudo, UNESCO country representative.

NBII’s vision it to be recognised globally as a leading centre of excellence in transforming innovative ideas into sustainable businesses and social solutions.