Swapo Party Vice President and the party's next presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says there is a need to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.

This, she says, is done by adding value to the country's resources and creating more jobs locally.

Nandi-Ndaitwah was speaking at the Swapo Party rally at Otjiwarongo over the weekend.

Nandi-Ndaitwah says that for the country to develop, each regional economic strength or pillar must be identified.

She praised the Otjozondjupa Region's plans to construct its first-ever Biomass Industrial Park, a project to create employment opportunities and improve grazing pastures.

"Otjozondjupa is one region that has to fight bush encroachment. Therefore, it's not by accident that this region was selected as the site for the construction of the first-ever Biomass Industrial Park in Namibia. This project is expected to create a sizable number of jobs, also is expected to leverage value addition synergies for a robust local market for wood-based products and unlock new market opportunities domestically and beyond."

Another regional project in the pipeline is that of treating sewerage water to produce bio-gas and reusable water for irrigation purposes, with an aim to contribute to energy efficiency and food security.

"Because we will never go wrong in investing in agriculture, be it in crop production, aquaculture and animal husbandry. Agricultural activities should not only end at primary production within the value chain. It should be extended towards the establishment of value addition industries that can be established in different Regions. This is the only way we can progress in the realization of Vision 2030."

Nandi-Ndaitwah also called on local authorities to identify challenges faced by vendors, including setting up new open markets, as the informal sector plays a major role in the economy.