The second edition of the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference (NOGC) commenced on Wednesday, August 21, in Windhoek. It brings together global industry leaders to explore Namibia’s burgeoning oil and gas sector.
Under the theme “The Next Step Towards a Prosperous Oil and Gas Industry,” the conference aims to unveil opportunities within Namibia’s energy landscape and foster knowledge exchange among international industry stakeholders.
In her keynote address, Kornelia Shilunga, Namibia’s deputy minister of mines and energy, who spoke on behalf of Energy Minister Tom Alweendo, underscored the pivotal role of Namibia’s oil and gas discoveries in advancing industrialisation, economic diversification, and job creation.
Shilunga stressed the importance of inclusive participation in these developments.
“Good governance of our upstream petroleum sector is imperative to ensure that potential economic benefits related to exploiting Namibia’s oil and gas resources are shared fairly and equitably,” Shilunga said.
She also acknowledged the emerging petroleum industry’s dual nature, noting its transformative potential and associated challenges.
Shilunga emphasised the need to draw lessons from international experiences, highlighting that while the sector promises significant benefits, it also carries risks.
“We are fully aware that the emerging petroleum industry will bring both transformational opportunities and challenges,” Shilunga cautioned.
“There are many examples worldwide where oil and gas exploitation has had negative socio-economic and political impacts.
Therefore, we should not take the resource curse lightly and must learn from others’ experiences.”
