Namibia’s newly inaugurated President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, made a landmark announcement Thursday, starting next year, higher education at all public universities and technical colleges in the country will be free.
Delivering her first State of the Nation Address to Parliament since becoming Namibia’s first female head of state last month, Nandi-Ndaitwah unveiled the sweeping reform aimed at expanding access to education and tackling long-standing economic disparities.
“I am pleased to announce that from the next academic year, commencing 2026, tertiary education will become 100% subsidized by the government,” she said.
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Namibia already provides tuition-free public education at the primary and secondary school levels. However, families are still responsible for covering associated costs like uniforms, books, stationery, and hostel fees, according to an AP report.
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The new policy will eliminate registration and tuition fees for universities and vocational colleges, a move that follows years of public demand for full education subsidies in the southern African nation of approximately 3 million people.
“We have heard your cries,” Nandi-Ndaitwah declared, emphasizing that the initiative is designed to expand opportunity for the country’s youth amid persistent challenges with unemployment and poverty. According to official statistics, nearly 2.1 million Namibians are under the age of 35.
Under the new directive, the country’s two public universities will waive all tuition fees, alongside its seven government-run vocational training institutions. The reform marks a bold shift in education policy and is expected to reshape the landscape of higher learning in Namibia.
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