Keynote address by Elijah Ngurare at the Prime Minister’s Charity Foundation Gala Dinner

Windhoek, 28 November 2025.

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Good evening.

It is my distinct honour to stand before you tonight at this inaugural Prime Minister’s Charity Foundation Gala Dinner. This occasion brings together leaders, visionaries, and partners who share a powerful common purpose: to uplift, strengthen, and empower our public institutions in pursuit of a more resilient and prosperous Namibia.

This event is not just a dinner; it is a clear demonstration of our collective resolve to ensure that no public institution, especially those serving our communities at the grassroots level, is left behind in the journey towards development, efficiency, and service excellence. Tonight, we gather under a shared vision to support, resource, and capacitate public institutions so that they can deliver the quality services our citizens deserve.

A nation is only as strong as the institutions that uphold it. Our local authorities, regional councils, public enterprises and ministries form the backbone of public service delivery. However, we know that many of these institutions, especially those in rural settings, face financial constraints, capacity limitations and operational challenges that undermine their ability to meet the expectations of our people.

The Prime Minister’s Charity Foundation was conceived as a strategic mechanism to mobilise financial resources and technical support for institutions struggling to effectively deliver their mandates. It is not intended as a replacement for government funding, but rather as a complementary initiative that strengthens our national capacity through collaborative partnerships. The Foundation represents a bridge between government and the private sector, fostering cooperation, innovation and shared responsibility in addressing development challenges. It is also an expression of our belief that sustainable development is a collective task that requires the mobilisation of diverse stakeholders.

Through this foundation, we aim to equip key institutions, particularly local authorities, with the necessary skills, tools and systems to improve service delivery, enhance revenue generation, strengthen governance frameworks and operate sustainably. This effort encompasses support for training, leadership development, digital transformation, research, capacity assessment and other strategic interventions, all facilitated through the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (Nipam), our premier public sector capacity-building institution.

Nipam was established with a clear mandate: to transform the public sector through training, research, consultancy, leadership development and capacity evaluation. Over the years, Nipam has touched every corner of the public service, strengthening management practices, improving policy development, enhancing leadership competencies and promoting a culture of excellence and accountability through its programmes.

In addition to its primary mandate, Nipam also serves as a government think tank, playing a crucial role as a generator of knowledge, a provider of evidence-based analysis and a trusted adviser to policymakers. Through its think tank function, Nipam conducts research on governance challenges, analyses policy options, forecasts institutional trends and provides the government with insights that support informed decision-making. This role significantly enhances Nipam’s impact, ensuring that its training and consultancy interventions are grounded in research, innovation and strategic foresight.

However, the demands of public sector transformation continue to evolve. Today’s institutions must navigate rapid technological change, heightened public expectations, global uncertainties and the growing complexities of governance. These realities necessitate new competencies, innovative thinking and evidence-based planning.

In this context, the Prime Minister’s Charity Foundation will serve as a strategic accelerator of Nipam’s work. By expanding Nipam’s reach, the foundation will enable more institutions, including those with limited financial resources, to access capacity-building interventions at no cost. 

This will allow Nipam to extend its services to underserved local authorities and remote regional institutions that urgently require support, empowering them to assist public enterprises and agencies that require turnaround strategies. Importantly, the foundation will ensure that capacity-building efforts across the public sector are aligned directly with national development priorities.

Together, Nipam and the foundation form a transformative partnership that drives meaningful impact where it is needed most – at the frontline of public service delivery.

Recently, on 17 November 2025, my office issued a directive to all ministries and regional councils, instructing them to utilise Nipam’s services. They should only engage external institutions where Nipam does not offer training, consultancy, research or capacity evaluation services.

Furthermore, the Office of the Prime Minister, in collaboration with Nipam, will be rolling out the Culture Change Programme. This Cabinet Resolution aims to instil a renewed sense of commitment to service excellence, strengthen public sector values and drive behavioural transformation towards a results-oriented, efficient and accountable public service culture.

Tonight, we are not merely raising funds; we are raising hope, elevating standards and collectively striving for a Namibia that works for all its people. Every contribution made this evening, whether financial, advisory or strategic, will have a direct and measurable impact on the institutions that serve our communities daily.

Your support tonight is an investment in a cleaner water supply for households, effective waste management systems, sustainable local governance, stronger financial systems, ethical leadership, competent officials and ultimately a better quality of life for the Namibian people. This foundation is built on partnership and belongs to Namibia. It belongs to every leader, company, institution and citizen who believes in shared responsibility and united action.

I therefore call upon all our partners, both public and private, to join us on this journey. Together, we must build a Namibia where no institution collapses due to lack of resources. We must build a nation where public service excellence is not an aspiration but a lived reality.

In closing, I express my profound appreciation to Nipam for its visionary leadership and my deep gratitude to all sponsors, partners and supporters who have made this evening possible. Together, let us move Namibia forward, strengthen its institutions and build the Namibia we desire by 2030 and beyond.

As president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said in her inaugural address on 21 March 2025: “Let us move in unison under the banner of One Namibia, One Nation, to build a prosperous future for ourselves, our children and generations to come. I am committed, determined and believe that together with all Namibians, we can make Namibia the best place to live.”

Let us help our president realise this dream. Let this be our shared mission.

Thank you.

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