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PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) In traditional African communities, pressing challenges were addressed by councils of elders – small groups of trusted, wise individuals who diagnosed problems and proposed solutions. Modern African governments have mirrored this model through task forces: ad hoc committees created to tackle crises in health, economics, corruption, energy, and national security. Typically appointed by presidents, cabinets, or ministers, these bodies are meant to act faster than bureaucracy, mobilise expertise, and recommend actionable reforms. Task forces in theory and reality At their best, task forces are problem-solving engines that: • Gather high-level…

Young Observer caught up with the youngest and newly elected local authority councillor, William Minnie, of the Mariental Constituency.   You have just become one of the youngest councillors in the country. What was the decisive moment that pushed you from being an engaged young person to actually contesting for office? My journey into leadership began long before I ever imagined myself in public office. I was raised in Mariental since birth by my late father, my grandparents and my two aunts, who created a home filled with discipline, compassion, and a deep sense of responsibility to others. My late father…

More than ever, this is the moment for curriculum experts, educational planners, university leaders and policymakers to converge around a shared priority: implementing problem-based learning (PBL) to tackle unemployment, strengthen entrepreneurship and fix the persistent mismatch between graduate skills and the demands of industry. In January 2023, I was among a group of six students privileged to spend six months at Aalborg University in Denmark on an exchange programme. While I expected cultural surprises and harsh winter weather, nothing was as eye-opening as the university’s learning philosophy: problem-based learning. With graduate unemployment rising and frustration growing among young people across…