Namibia’s new Ambassador to China, Tonata Itenge-Emvula, has called on Chinese companies to invest in refining, petrochemicals and other downstream industries as the country prepares for large-scale industrialisation following offshore oil discoveries estimated at more than 3 billion barrels.
Speaking in Beijing, Itenge-Emvula said the discoveries had positioned Namibia as a “rising petroleum hub” and stressed that Chinese expertise and capital could play an important role in helping the country shift from exporting raw resources to developing a fully fledged oil and gas industry.
“Namibia welcomes partners who share our vision to add value to our resources, develop renewable energy and boost agriculture for food security. We believe in cooperation where both Namibia and China benefit,” she said.
Her remarks follow earlier comments by Chinese Ambassador to Namibia Zhao Weiping, who said last year that China was committed to supporting Namibia in developing the skilled workforce needed for the expansion of oil, gas and related industries. Zhao said Namibia’s industrialisation agenda, particularly in the energy sector, required a strong pipeline of trained professionals.
To support this goal, the two countries are discussing a Memorandum of Understanding on technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The agreement would strengthen collaboration between educational institutions and promote the exchange of expertise in key areas such as petroleum engineering, industrial processing and renewable energy technologies.
China currently provides two streams of training opportunities for Namibians: multilateral programmes involving participants from several countries, and bilateral programmes designed specifically for Namibia. Zhao has recommended expanding the bilateral model to better align with Namibia’s sectoral priorities. He also proposed increasing the number of training programmes hosted inside Namibia to broaden participation and reduce access constraints.
