Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said that Namibia’s goal is to export power and advance Africa’s collective energy security.
Speaking at the official opening of the 7th edition of the Namibia International Energy Conference on Wednesday through Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare, President Nandi-Ndaitwah urged greater collaboration between government, academia, and industry.
“Our goal is to export power, strategic energy commodities, and knowledge partnerships, while promoting regional integration and advancing Africa’s collective energy security,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
Namibia is currently in talks to export green hydrogen to South Africa as part of efforts to help its neighbor reduce emissions in the car manufacturing sector and stay competitive in the European Union (EU) market.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah also called for Namibians to assume a leading role in shaping the country’s energy future, emphasising the importance of local capacity building, sustainable development, and good governance.
“We call on all stakeholders – investors, operators, and service providers – to be active partners in building local capacity.
“Let us prioritise skills development, technology transfer, and knowledge sharing across the energy value chain. Namibia’s energy future must be led by Namibians – capable, empowered, and globally competitive,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah recently shifted the management of the country’s oil and gas sector to the Office of the President to optimise the benefits derived from the burgeoning industry.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah said the country’s energy agenda goes beyond resource extraction, with a focus on creating lasting value for Namibians.
“We aim to position Namibia as one of Africa’s most attractive and reliable destinations for energy investment, where partnerships are built on trust, accountability, and shared long-term value” the president said.
Namibia has received robust energy investment in recent times.
Heightened oil exploration activities in Namibia’s Orange Basin, for instance, attracted a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) surging to N$12.6 billion (approx. US$655 million) in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the Bank of Namibia (BoN).
Namibia’s energy sector is poised for significant expansion, with potential spanning oil, gas, solar, wind, hydroelectric, and nuclear energy, as well as critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies.
