The late Founding President, Dr. Sam Nujoma, in his advocacy for education, not only talked the talk but also walked the walk.

These were the remarks shared by the UNAM Alumni at today's memorial service at the main campus in Academia.

Nujoma was the founding Chancellor of the University of Namibia (UNAM) and is lauded for playing a crucial role in its development into a hub of academic excellence.

He not only inaugurated the institution on 1st September 1994 but also demonstrated his commitment to education by enrolling as a student there.

UNAM alumnus and politician Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana lauded the late Nujoma for leading by example when he earned his Master of Science degree in Geology from UNAM in 2009 after four years of rigorous study and research.

Iivula-Ithana recalled him as a father figure who deeply believed in education. 

She emphasised his call for Namibians to pursue higher learning, recognising that the country needed educated citizens to move forward.

Speakers at the memorial service who shared the UNAM corridors and library with Nujoma said they were in awe being in his presence.

They narrated they were at first in shock at sharing a classroom with a leader of his stature; they, however, noted that his humility and dedication to learning inspired them.

Bob Kandetu, the first Dean of Students at UNAM, described the late Nujoma as "unique," remembering him as a person with powerful oratory skills and relentless determination.