Namibia plans to prioritise local beneficiation of its energy discoveries, focusing on human capital development and infrastructure investment.
Speaking at the 7th Namibia International Energy Conference in Windhoek last week, Namibia’s Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare said the country’s approach to developing its offshore and onshore oil and gas resources will be based on building domestic technical skills and integrating academia into energy sector planning.
“Our approach is practical and focused on long-term impact. Local content includes value addition and developing downstream infrastructure but at the core of this is human capital development – equipping locals to lead in a changing global industry,” Ngurare said.
Following recent offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin and ongoing exploration in regions such as Walvis Bay and the Kavango Basin, Namibia seeks to avoid the historical pattern of resource extraction without broad-based industrialisation. These basins, considered frontier and deepwater regions, are central to the country’s drive to build local capacity and strengthen energy sovereignty.
Namibia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Natangwe Ithete said Namibia intends to evolve beyond the role of a raw resource exporter by investing in local processing capacity. “We want to prioritise local content and become a hub for processing. Creating jobs and developing infrastructure will drive industrialisation and ensure regional energy security.” He said Namibia’s strategy aims not only to support domestic growth but also to position the country as a regional leader in energy development within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Upcoming projects across Namibia’s offshore and onshore basins present an opportunity not only for domestic economic growth but also for regional integration within SADC, Ithete said.
The continent’s energy resources should be used to close the regional energy gap, said African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk. “Namibia and Africa have an energy deficit and our message is clear: we must develop every drop of hydrocarbons to power our people. Namibians need to be part of that process and there should be no apology in pushing for local content.”
He said Namibia’s focus on local content and regulatory certainty intends to unlock new investment partnerships, particularly in infrastructure and downstream development. Regulatory and fiscal stability are critical to sustaining investment, he said. “We can’t produce wells without regulatory stability. We’ve seen African nations make discoveries but fail to produce due to instability. We must learn from those mistakes. We don’t want Namibia to repeat the delays experienced elsewhere.”
