06 Feb 2019
Namibia’s vice president,
Dr Nangolo Mbumba, visited Agribank last week as part of his familiarisation
journey to key state-owned enterprises. Dr Mbumba met with the board and senior
management before touring the Agribank building and meeting with staff members
on the first and Midland branch floors.
During
his welcoming remarks, board chairperson Michael Iyambo noted that the visit
comes at a difficult time for the economy in general and agricultural industry in
particular, especially given the prolonged economic downturn and unpredictable
weather cycles. Iyambo was however optimistic that such conditions also present
opportunities for the bank. “What we
need as a nation is upright leadership, closer synergies among key
stakeholders, innovation and diversification and most importantly the urge to
take important decisions and actions” he concluded.
At the occasion,
Agribank chief executive officer Sakaria Nghikembua presented an overview of
the bank’s mandate, its product portfolio as well as challenges and
opportunities the bank is facing, and how these are being dealt with.
Nghikembua emphasised that Agribank has an important role to play in the land
reform process in the country, adding the bank requires support of all
stakeholders to effectively and sustainably deliver on its mandate.
On his part, Dr Mbumba expressed appreciation for the
visible synergy and teamwork demonstrated by the bank’s board and senior management
in the process leading up to his visit and during the visit itself. The vice president
noted that farmland prices are skyrocketing and that a sustainable solution is
required through a multi-stakeholder approach. He further called upon Agribank
to finance value-adding industries, such as the abattoirs in communal areas in
order to alleviate the urban migration challenge. He added that the dynamics of
farming have changed and thus farmers need continuous training and mentorship
to succeed. “You cannot live in a modern economy without sufficient preparation
and requisite knowledge”, he concluded.
Issued by:
Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief
Executive Officer
For
enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.:
061 2074332
Fax:
061 2074206
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