馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Fatima Mustapha champions climate-smart solutions and digital empowerment in Nigeria
via The Namibian4 min read
Fatima Mustapha, an award-winning tech innovator, is dedicated to empowering women and youth in Nigeria to address climate change through technology and sustainable practices. Witnessing the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities, she co-founded the Future Prowess Foundation in 2007. The foundation focuses on bridging inequality gaps by providing access to digital skills, climate education, and economic opportunities, particularly for women, youth, and refugees. Mustapha's approach integrates green farming, digital empowerment, and innovative agricultural solutions, including training in climate-smart agriculture and advancing plant tissue culture to improve crop yield and resilience. She has trained over 500 women in digital skills, recognizing technology's role in unlocking economic opportunities. Despite challenges like limited technical infrastructure and reliance on traditional farming methods, Mustapha emphasizes building trust, continuous training, and demonstrating concrete impacts. Her work has shown positive results in communities across Maiduguri and other parts of Borno state, where demonstration farms helped overcome initial resistance to modern farming techniques. Mustapha aims to scale this integrated approach across Nigeria and Africa, fostering a network of youth-led, technology-driven climate solutions.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Young Namibian men are susceptible to financial exploitation due to economic hardship and unequal power dynamics, with societal expectations preventing them from seeking help, according to University of Namibia senior sociology lecturer Ellison Tjirera. Tjirera notes that some older women, referred to as 'sugar mummies', exploit young men struggling with basic needs, and wealthy men also target young men. He emphasizes that the core issue is power imbalance, not gender, and that economic realities like rent, tuition, and living expenses push young men into these situations. Mental health advocate Elago Nantana states there are no statistics on the 'blesser' phenomenon involving young men because society expects them to be strong and self-reliant, leading them to remain silent. Nantana argues this issue is a predictable outcome of economic design, not a failure of young men. He adds that young men are often not seen as victims, especially when money or survival is involved, and feel marginalized, believing gender-based violence responses focus solely on women and girls. Nantana suggests Namibia improve awareness and mental health services by providing protective shelters for all genders, as male survivors often lack access. 4x4 Boys Initiative founder Sidney Boois advocates for sustained male engagement programs, better counselling, anonymous reporting systems, and public education on constitutional rights to ensure accountability for perpetrators.
South African entrepreneurs Sbusiso Leope, known as DJ Sbu, and Sheldon Tatchell are scheduled to arrive in Namibia on Friday to headline the sixth edition of the Business Summit Namibia in Windhoek on Saturday. Summit founder Martin Nankela stated that the event will serve as a premier networking platform for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators. DJ Sbu is the founder of MoFaya, and Tatchell is the chief executive of Legends Barbershop, which has expanded to over 80 stores. Leope is also a social entrepreneur, DJ, radio and television host, music producer, and author. The summit's theme is 'Building Scalable and Formidable Businesses Through Disciplined Execution and Tireless Commitment'. It will feature local and international speakers, panel discussions, business exhibitions, and networking opportunities. Local speakers include Standard Bank Namibia executive Hellen Amupolo, Hannah Nangula, founder and chief executive of Hannah Nangula Cosmetics, and RFC Creative Agency chief executive Reggie Zaire. The focus of one segment is information sharing, digital skills, smart banking, and business compliance to help local small and medium enterprises SMEs scale and create jobs. Past summits have featured prominent South African entrepreneurs, including Connie Ferguson in 2025 and Theo Baloyi, founder of Bathu Shoes, in 2024.
The Independent Patriots for Change IPC has accused the government of reappointing public officials implicated in governance failures to senior positions. IPC shadow minister of works and transport Nelson Kalangula stated that this practice undermines public confidence and weakens governance. Kalangula alleged that the executive director in the Ministry of Works and Transport was previously implicated in a 2014 Deloitte forensic investigation into Air Namibia, which reportedly found unauthorized contracts, procurement failures, and poor contract management. This official is now claimed to be advising the government on establishing Namibia Air. The IPC also raised concerns about the executive director of the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority, alleging a 2019 disciplinary inquiry at the Namibia Airports Company found this director guilty of tender collusion, leaking confidential information, and attempting to influence procurement processes. Despite recommendations for dismissal and referral to the Anti-Corruption Commission ACC, the director continues to advise the ministry on aviation regulation. Kalangula believes this recycling of officials contributes to poor governance, wastage of public funds, and weak oversight. He called on works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi to review investigation reports and implement recommendations. The IPC has written to the ACC for a progress report on forensic investigations. The party advocates for stricter vetting, accountability, and