Namibia will develop its emerging oil and gas sector alongside green hydrogen and other renewable energy industries as it seeks to increase energy supply and accelerate industrialisation, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said.
Speaking at Unstoppable Africa 2026 in New York, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the country would not choose between hydrocarbons and green energy, but would pursue both as part of a broader energy mix.
“Namibia having also now discovered the oil and gas, for us it is not a question of a choice between green hydrogen and the oil and gas, but rather a mix for them to complement one another,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said Namibia requires multiple sources of energy to support its industrialisation ambitions, particularly as energy shortages remain a challenge across Southern Africa and the continent.
“So therefore, talking about green hydrogen and other sources of energy, we are not giving priority to any. But 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 develop its recently discovered petroleum resources while continuing investments in green hydrogen and other clean-energy projects.
She said new investments in these sectors would, however, be required to comply with Namibia’s laws and be assessed against the country’s long-term development objectives.
“One thing we have to avoid in Namibia, and I believe all other countries do so, is to do something that is not talking to your own laws,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said Government would scrutinise new investments and financing arrangements based on their expected outcomes and Namibia’s ability to manage the resulting developments.
“And that’s why we have always to be careful when new investments are coming in, when finance is coming in, so we have to measure it from how we see the outcome and how we are going to manage the situations,” she said.
The comments come as Namibia seeks to develop several emerging industries simultaneously, including oil and gas, green hydrogen and value-added industries linked to the country’s mineral resources.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said increased energy supply and skills development would be critical to the country’s industrialisation plans, with Government supporting training for both the green hydrogen and oil and gas industries.
She said Namibia would continue pursuing its emissions-reduction commitments but cautioned that the global energy transition should not constrain the development needs of emerging economies.
“Because it’s true, we believe in reducing emissions as a country. We have our own national target, but it’s also true that the energy transition should not happen at the expense of developing countries. And Namibia is one of them,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said green hydrogen developments, including the Hyphen project, would therefore form part of Namibia’s wider energy mix alongside oil and gas as the country seeks to expand energy supply and build an industrialised economy.
