President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has announced that the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) will be reintegrated into the education ministry by October.
This is part of the government’s efforts to cut costs and improve service delivery to student beneficiaries.
The president made the announcement during her maiden state of the nation address (Sona) on Thursday, emphasising that the move aims to streamline operations and enhance efficiency within the student funding system.
“To derive cost savings and to maximise value to student beneficiaries, the NSFAF will be reintegrated back into the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture by October 2025,” she said.
This reintegration follows a Cabinet directive issued in 2021, which recommended that the fund be brought back under the direct administration of the ministry.
Established in 1997, NSFAF was created to provide financial assistance to Namibian students pursuing tertiary education.
However, in recent years, the institution has faced mounting challenges, particularly in recovering disbursed loans.
Last year the institution revealed it had allocated N$17 billion to students between 2013 and 2024.
Despite this substantial investment, the fund has struggled to recover loan repayments from beneficiaries, raising concerns about its long-term sustainability.
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