STAFF WRITER
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says Namibia’s green hydrogen and oil and gas industries can work together to help close the country’s energy gap, drive industrialisation and create economic opportunities.
Speaking at Unstoppable Africa 2026 in New York this week, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia does not see the two sectors as competing choices.
“We want all of them to work in parallel in order to contribute significantly to where we want to take our development,” she said.
The President said the approach would allow Namibia to pursue a diverse energy mix while working towards its national emissions reduction targets.
Nandi-Ndaitwah was joined by Veronica Bolton Smith, founder and chief executive officer of Critical Minerals Africa Group, for a one-on-one fireside conversation under the theme, “Powering Business, Scaling Economies, Shaping the Future”.
The discussion, held under the energy theme “Power Shift: Who Will Be Africa’s Next Energy Giants?”, focused on Namibia’s energy future, industrialisation, critical minerals, oil and gas, green hydrogen and skills development.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also stressed the need for Namibia’s natural resources to generate lasting economic value, saying investment and development financing should be aligned with the country’s laws and national development priorities.
Skills development was another focus of the discussion, with the President highlighting efforts to prepare Namibians for emerging industries.
She said initiatives linked to Project Hyphen are supporting young Namibians from all 14 regions through scholarships aimed at developing skills for the green hydrogen sector.
The President also highlighted the role of the Petrofund, established alongside Namibia’s petroleum legislation in 1992, in developing skills for the oil and gas industry.
She further pointed to the government’s decision, effective from January 2026, to cover 100% of tuition and registration fees for Namibian students at universities and vocational training institutions.
“All this we are doing because we want to develop our skills,” she said.
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