Windhoek: Prime Minister, Elijah Ngurare, on Wednesday highlighted that the National Mega Hackathon will help bridge Namibia's digital divide. "This Hackathon is a practical step in implementing our commitment to bridge the digital divide, promote digital literacy, and deliver government services that are accessible, efficient, and citizen-driven," the Prime Minister said. Ngurare was speaking at the launch of the National Mega Hackathon by the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (MICT) under the theme 'Reimagining Public Service Delivery.'
According to Namibia Press Agency, the Prime Minister further underscored that the Hackathon would focus on four key areas, namely: online job applications for the public, digital mental health support, inclusive learning tools, and resource and inventory management. In addition, Ngurare emphasised that the digital mental health support initiative will seek technological solutions to enhance mental health services within Namibia, particularly for educational purposes and community benefit. "The focus is on implementing tele-mental health services and digital awareness campaigns to destigmatise mental health issues and provide accessible support to students and educators," Ngurare added.
Furthermore, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (MICT), Emma Theofelus, stated that the Hackathon aims to build a smart Namibia, where technology enhances public service delivery, drives innovation in agriculture and healthcare, improves education, and empowers local entrepreneurs to compete globally. Theofelus also noted that the ministry has reallocated its 2025 resources from the annual ICT Summit to the National Mega Hackathon, describing it as a strategic shift that prioritises the development of tangible, innovative digital solutions for integration into government systems, delivering direct benefits to citizens.
"This approach seeks to deliver tangible, innovative digital solutions that can be integrated into government systems and directly benefit our citizens, recognising that ICT enables access to government services such as applying for permits and jobs, paying taxes, and obtaining public information," the Minister said. Theofelus further called on the youth to invest in digital transformation "to spark and ignite a culture of innovation in every ministry, school, business start-up and community to build a digital Namibia," she concluded.