The Government of the Republic of Namibia, in partnership with the the African Union Commission (AUC) and UNICEF has launched the “End Learning Poverty for All in Africa (ELPAF)” campaign for Namibia on July 31, 2025. The launch event took place in Outjo, Kunene region, on the final day of a high-level three-day continental conference on accelerating foundational learning outcomes across Africa. The launch event in Namibia was graced by the Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Elijah Ngurare; Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Hon. Sanet Steenkamp; senior government officials; representatives of the African Union, development partners, civil society, and education experts.

In a speech delivered by the Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Elijah Ngurare, the President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said that the event was a reaffirmation of the nation’s belief in the dignity and potential of every child. She highlighted Namibia’s strong budget commitment with over 23% of the national budget and 9% of GDP allocated to education. She thanked the African Union for leading in placing foundational learning at the heart of the continental agenda. Her Excellency further emphasized that ending learning poverty is possible if the political will is matched by action across all levels of society.

In her keynote remarks, Namibia’s Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Hon. Sanet Steenkamp, issued a stirring call to action on the imperative of ending learning poverty across the country, emphasizing that a child’s birthplace must never define the boundaries of their future. 

“Today’s event is about those children,” she said, “ensuring that one’s birthplace does not define one’s future.” 

She outlined Namibia’s national roadmap to improve foundational learning, including a new Project Charter aligned with the End Learning Poverty for All in Africa (ELPAF) campaign. The strategy will prioritize equitable budget allocations, evidence-based interventions, stronger assessments, and enhanced teacher development. The Minister further called for a culture of collaboration among teachers and school leaders—highlighting high-performing schools where shared planning, peer coaching, and teamwork led to improved learning outcomes. 

“Let us be the generation that turns the tide,” 

she said, reaffirming Namibia’s commitment to quality, inclusive, and transformative education.

ADEA, represented by our Senior Foundational Learning Expert, Dr Jacqueline Jere-Folotiya, joined other stakeholders in solidarity with the government and people of Namibia in its efforts to end learning poverty, and improve education outcomes for learners in Namibia. The ELPAF aims to eliminate learning poverty in Africa by 2035 in alignment with commitments made by Ministers of Education during the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX2024) in Kigali, last november. The campaign calls for national action plans, high-level policy commitment, increased domestic financing, and adoption of proven, scalable interventions that improve foundational literacy and numeracy, particularly for children under the age of 10.

Meanwhile the African Union represented by the Head of the Education Division at the African Union Commission, Mrs. Sophia Ashipala, lauded Namibia’s leadership and swift adoption of the ELPAF initiative. While affirming the African Union’s unwavering commitment to supporting Member States in addressing the urgent learning crisis, she emphasized the urgency of action, in the light of the scale of learning poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the critical need for targeted national interventions and sustained political will.

The ELPAF launch amplified the importance of prioritizing foundational learning within education sector planning and national budget frameworks. Stakeholders emphasized the role of cross-sectoral collaboration and community engagement in ensuring that education reforms are not only implemented but sustained over time.

As the fourth country to launch the ELPAF, Namibia is setting a precedent for other Member States. The national campaign reflects a unified call to action—to scale up evidence-based teaching methods, strengthen early childhood education, enhance teacher training, and ensure that foundational learning outcomes are tracked and improved.

The launch concluded with a commitment to report on progress through national and regional platforms and to align ELPAF efforts with national development strategies and the broader goals of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).