Procurement reform leads to almost N$3 billion savings - Unicef

In a recent exit interview, Rachel Odede, Unicef's country representative to Namibia, shared insights into the organisation's impactful initiatives and the challenges facing Namibia, as well as highlighting several key projects for child welfare and education in Namibia.

Odede's overall farewell message was one of hope and collaboration, emphasising Unicef's commitment to working alongside the government and other partners to find practical solutions that cater to Namibia's unique needs.

She stressed that the organisation's focus remains unwavering: to ensure no child is left behind and to advocate for the rights and well-being of every Namibian child.

Odede, who joined Namibia in 2017, commended government for its ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency in health procurement, achieved through collaboration with the finance and public enterprises ministry and the health and social services ministry.

According to her, the project has already yielded great results, including the strengthening of the regulatory framework for pooled procurement and multi-year agreements.

"We already witness the ongoing strengthening of the regulatory framework for pooled procurement, framework agreements, and multi-year procurement that has been put in place. It is important to note that through this reform of the procurement process, Namibia will be making a saving of almost N$3 billion," she said.

Strides made

Odede also applauded Namibia's prompt response to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the country's swift action led to increased utilisation of maternal, newborn, and child health services, driven by earlier alerts, awareness campaigns and advocacy efforts.

Acknowledging Namibia's strong social protection system, Odede praised the government's allocation of a significant portion of the budget, 53% in the 2023/24 fiscal year, to the social sector.

"Namibia is also commended for having one of the most developed social protection systems in Africa. I thus commend the Namibian government as they continue to prioritise the social sectors benefitting children," she said.

"For example, we see how this sector is still accounting for the largest share of the budget at 53% in 2023/24; social grants for vulnerable children and disability grants were increased significantly, with about 350 000 children benefitting.

"We understand that the government is working tirelessly to cover/add 300 000 more children to benefit through social grants."

Work to do

Odede, however, emphasised that despite progress, there's room for improvement, particularly in underfunded sectors like pre-primary education, water, sanitation, nutrition, and early childhood development.

She emphasised the need to ensure efficient spending to prevent this generation from becoming a "lost generation".

In addressing the youth population's significant size in Namibia, Odede highlighted the importance of adapting the education system to meet the needs of the 21st century. She applauded Namibia's strides in achieving near-universal primary education and eliminating gender disparities.

She also emphasised the challenge of addressing the dropout rate, especially among boys, and highlighted the finalisation of the basic education regulations, which aim to retain children in school and implement the Basic Education Act 2020.

"The challenge is the number of children, especially boys, who drop out and do not complete school. This is one of the many challenges that were identified during the National Education Conference."

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