The Otjozondjupa Regional Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Namibian Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM) for collaboration in training, consultancy, research, and capacity building for staff members and constituency councillors of the regional council for a period of three years.

Otjozondjupa Regional Council Chairperson, Johannes Hausiku, signed the agreement on behalf of the regional council, while NIPAM Executive Director, Dr. Heroldt Murangi, signed on behalf of NIPAM.

Murangi said NIPAM offers about 60 courses, allowing it to cater to the capacity-building needs of the Otjozondjupa Regional Council’s officials and constituency councillors over the three-year training agreement.

“NIPAM’s training courses come with a fee, and in this regard with the Otjozondjupa Regional Council, we can opt to give reduced rates on their courses since the institution was created by the government exactly for this purpose of capacitating the public service,” he said.

Hausiku, for his part, said about 150 staff members and seven regional constituency councillors are expected to receive this training from NIPAM.

“The intention is to strengthen the capacity of the employees, as well as that of the political leadership, so that effective service delivery can happen at the grassroots level,” he said.

All seven constituency councillors of Tsumkwe, Grootfontein, Otavi, Otjiwarongo, Okakarara, Omatako, and Okahandja, as well as the acting Otjozondjupa Chief Regional Officer, Shikongo Alweendo, were present and witnessed the MoU signing at the council chambers.