President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for concerted efforts to establish a nuclear power plant in Namibia.
“Collectively, let us start moving towards the Nuclear Power Plant in Namibia and identify potential partnerships to achieve this goal. We need a mix of reliable and clean energy to grow our economy and lift our people out of poverty,” the President said during a recent engagement with Rössing Uranium Mine.
This follows a meeting she held just a week earlier with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Yury Trutnev, to explore avenues of cooperation in nuclear energy.
Most developed nations rely on nuclear power plants to generate electricity on a large scale, with uranium serving as the primary fuel source.
“Nuclear energy is essential, and the Government will put in effort to ensure the environment is conducive for the mining sector to flourish. These actions will, in the end, assist Namibians in achieving their developmental goals,” the President said.
In February 2025, the mining and quarrying sector generated N$3.5 billion in export revenue, with uranium emerging as Namibia’s top export commodity. The mineral generated N$2.6 billion in revenue and recorded a N$2.7 billion trade surplus.
Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized the need to do more to create value addition in the mining industry, which remains a cornerstone of Namibia’s economy. She noted that the sector should scale up its contribution to job creation.
“The trade between Namibia and certain countries can appear high, largely due to the value of uranium exports, but not all of what is exported translates into tangible benefits for the local economy. The figures look good, but I feel we need to do more,” the President said.
She further remarked, “Economic growth without development does not truly impact the ordinary lives of our citizens.”
The mining sector has been identified in the SWAPO manifesto as a key priority area, which the President has pledged to advance over the next five years.
She also urged mining companies to support employees who wish to venture into entrepreneurship by providing them with start-up capital.
“When that person becomes successful, more people will be employed—and that success can be credited to your company for having empowered that individual,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also called on the sector to do more to provide sustainable, quality jobs, scholarships, job attachments, training, internships, and funding for young entrepreneurs.
“We want mining companies to invest in the potential of our youth and the local economies where they operate,” she said.
