Namibia's First Female President Sworn in – Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah

Namibia's First Female President Sworn in – Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s first female president, took the oath of office on Friday, March 21, and promised to reduce the high unemployment rate by increasing investments in the agricultural sector and diversifying the resource-dependent economy.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72 years old, was sworn in as the first female president of Namibia, a country with a population of 3 million. Her party, SWAPO, which has governed the country for the past three decades, won the presidential and parliamentary elections in November.

In recent years, Namibia has seen some economic growth due to investments in the oil, gas, and green hydrogen sectors. However, according to World Bank data, the country ranks second in the world for income inequality.

In her speech, Nandi-Ndaitwah said, "We will increase investments in agriculture to boost food production and work towards meeting domestic food demands." She also mentioned, "We will ensure the full utilization of our country’s natural resources to diversify the economy, which will address the unemployment problem among the youth."

The new president further emphasized the need to "maintain high ethical standards among public service providers and take strong action against corruption."

SWAPO’s public support has declined over the past decade due to accusations of high unemployment, inequality, and corruption. In the November elections, SWAPO received 57% of the vote, down from 87% in 2014.

Nandi-Ndaitwah’s swearing-in ceremony was attended by seven current and nine former African presidents. Prior to the ceremony, Namibia's Supreme Court dismissed an opposition party's election challenge, which claimed that the extension of the election period made the vote flawed and illegal.