Education Minister Nghipondoka Launches IMN Technology Mentorship Institute in Namibia

WINDHOEK — Education, Arts and Culture Minister Ester Anna Nghipondoka inaugurated the IMN Technology Mentorship Institute (IMN Tech) in Windhoek on Monday, marking a significant step in enhancing technological skills among Namibians.

According to Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA), Nghipondoka stated during the launch that the Namibian education sector is currently behind global trends in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education. She emphasized the importance of STEAM, which encompasses fields like robotics, coding, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies, in developing a range of skills from computational thinking to creativity and resilience. These skills open doors to diverse career paths in sectors such as medicine, business, and agriculture.

For the 2023/2024 financial year, the Ministry of Education has allocated N.dollars 30 million to procure information technology hardware and software for schools. This investment is part of the national conference on education implementation plan, translating to N.dollars 750,000 per computer lab in 42 secondary schools across the country.

Each lab will be outfitted with 40 desktop computers, network accessories, a teacher laptop, a wireless printer, and a server. In total, this initiative will provide 1,680 desktop computers.

IMN Tech founder Irvine Ndjavera shared that the institute, which is only a month old, aims to bridge the educational technological skills gap from school level to the job market. The institute was established in partnership with a similar institution in India, Avishkaar. Ndjavera emphasized IMN Tech’s vision to prepare technologically advanced Namibians for the global economy of the fourth industrial revolution and to re-skill the workforce to meet current job market requirements.