Prime Minister, Elijah Ngurare has called for Africa to accelerate local value addition, industrialisation and economic independence, saying the continent must move beyond exporting raw materials if it wants to achieve sustainable development and job creation.
Ngurare made the remarks on Monday while officially opening the African Management Development Institutions Network Conference hosted by the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management.
He said Africa’s development agenda must prioritise processing natural resources on the continent to ensure wealth generated from minerals and other commodities benefits African citizens directly.
“Africa needs economic independence. Our rich mineral resources must be processed here and exported as finished products to add value and create jobs. In our bilateral relationship with other continents and peoples we must not be beggars but as proud owners of the raw materials others so desperately need,” Ngurare said.
The Prime Minister said political independence alone was not enough, arguing that African countries must also secure economic independence to reverse long-standing patterns of exploitation.
Ngurare also stressed the need for ethical, transparent and accountable leadership across the public sector, warning that development efforts would fail without integrity in governance systems.
“This means we must strengthen accountability systems, reinforce oversight institutions, and promote performance driven public service cultures. Citizens must be able to trust that public resources are managed responsibly, decisions are made transparently, and leaders are answerable for outcomes,” he said.
He further called for stronger oversight institutions and governance systems capable of restoring public trust in government.
Ngurare said digital transformation and artificial intelligence would also play a central role in modernising public administration and improving service delivery across Africa.
However, he cautioned that technological development must remain guided by human intelligence and African values.
“Africa must define its priorities and ensure the raw materials that drive this technology must benefit Africans. In other words, nothing stops us from developing our own hardware such as computers, laptops, smartphones, our own software, and social media application for Africa by Africans,” he said.
He also called for greater investment in digital infrastructure, innovation systems and locally developed technology platforms to reduce Africa’s dependence on foreign technologies.
