The Namibian Green Hydrogen industry is progressing smoothly with hyped anticipation for jobs, industrial growth and a robust Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Experts say the industry will create thousands of jobs at both construction (formative|) and production stages.
This has attracted keen interest from the citizenry of a country that has the second highest inequality in the world.
Namibia has several green hydrogen projects in development, most notably the Hyphen Tsau ǁKhaeb project by Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, which aims to produce green ammonia and hydrogen by the end of the decade to support green industrialization in Namibia and global decarbonization efforts.
Other initiatives include the Daures Green Hydrogen Pilot Project in the Daures region, the GreenGo Energy and InnoSun Energy partnership, and the overall Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme (NGHP) initiative.
The government intends to leverage Namibia’s abundant solar and wind resources to establish large-scale green hydrogen production, positioning the country as a leader in the global green hydrogen market.
Needless to say that this industry is coming at a time when the country is confronted with many socio-economic challenges.
The worst of the challenges are high levels of poverty, run-away unemployment and a skewed access to resources between rich and the poor.
Albeit the unemployment rate is too high for a country of 3.5 million citizens.
It is creating misery and contributing to mental health issues among the economically active who live in anticipation of a job rather than the reality of finding the job itself.
It is pretty understandable that Namibian young people and the generality of the population want to understand what the multi-billion dollar green hydrogen industry has to offer to them,
Questions linger on whether the green hydrogen industry could be the messiah that many were waiting for to see a payslip in their lives.
Even more questions are lingering on whether this could be the local business’s passage from biblical Egypt to the promised land of Canaan.
Perhaps the expectations of the locals should not be overemphasised.
Experts feel locals might not necessarily see a land of milk and honey like the biblical Israelites.They advise that the industry and government must manage the expectations in case it will leave many disappointed.
Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) executive director Graham Hopwood warned Namibia not to get carried away with expectations about oil, gas and green hydrogen industries.
He says overpromising could leave the citizens disappointed if benefits take longer to materialise.
His views come at a time when a baseline survey released by Deloitte this month shows Namibia will create about 12 000 direct and indirect jobs from the oil and gas industry during the construction and production phases of the industry.
This is a far cry from the 15 000 that the industry has been pushing for
What boggles the mind is that the industry is yet to put together a local content policy which is a vital roadmap that could be followed to make sure that Namibians will not be sold a pie in the sky.
Many Namibians , qualified or not, are sitting with a view that their challenges with unemployment could come to an end.
Perhaps yes , perhaps not.
Walvis Bay Mayor Trevino Forbes says local authorities should take a proactive role in sensitizing locals on the potential spin-off benefits that can be accrued from the green hydrogen industry.
Forbes said local authorities have a responsibility to make sure that Namibians at grass roots level are widely consulted on the ongoing green hydrogen projects in Namibia.
One is forced to go by his view.
It is better that the government heed his call sooner than later.
It must not be left too late for Namibians to be engaged and sensitized to this one opportunity which could change many lives. Such engagements and information are vital in helping them to position themselves for opportunities.
If well marketed and locals allowed to understand the industry, Namibia could easily become a much more industrialised country with ability to compete with many other countries in the continent.
However if information is issues given in pockets with top down approach to community consultations the industry will develop and make billions at the expense of locals who will continue living in anticipation of jobs rather than the jobs themselves.
•This article is compiled by the Editorial Board
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