The northern branch of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) recently hosted a fundraising gala dinner at Ongwediva, where close to N$400 000 was raised.

Founding President, Dr Sam Nujoma, was the main speaker at the event at the town's trade fair centre, which Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and NCCI President Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun also attended.

Nujoma explained that the occasion was organised in order to speed up the economic growth of Namibia, and to ensure that the benefits that accrue from economic growth are shared by all the people in the country.

"Despite the achievements that we have made, we still face numerous challenges," he stated, adding that the challenges facing the Namibian nation require each citizen to take account of the country's natural endowments in the form of minerals, and the strategically-positioned coastline. He said all Namibians are required to build on and expand the existing capacity in manufacturing and services.

"We indeed need to use our endowments to usher in an era of industrialisation and development that should not only see downstream and upstream beneficiation of our mineral wealth, but also the expansion of the manufacturing sector through localisation and sector strategies," Nujoma noted.

The former Namibian leader pointed out that a nation can only be truly independent when it can produce its own food.

Therefore, the government prioritised the development of agriculture by funding the development of horticultural projects with a view to ensure food security and self-sufficiency.

According to him, Namibia can also improve crop production, livestock farming, animal health and the expansion of rural water supply through horticulture projects. In addition, the government also ensured the growth of agro-processing, land reform and rural development to alleviate rural poverty.

"For this reason, several projects under the green scheme along the Orange, Kunene, Okavango and Zambezi rivers for crop production were initiated," he told captains of industry who attended the gala dinner.

Nujoma contributed N$5 000 on behalf of his family, while Ben Hauwanga of the BH Group of Companies pledged the highest amount of N$42 000 towards the NCCI's northern branch.

Nampa