The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has urged the government to fast-track the enactment of legislation promoting local participation in the country’s oil and gas sector.
NCCI President Bisey Uirab emphasized the need to convert the existing local content policy into law to ensure Namibians benefit from the rapidly growing industry.
“We can always do better. We can always do faster. Yes, we are discussing the local content policy,” Uirab said, calling for greater urgency in regulating the sector and securing local benefits.
Uirab noted that oil and gas are becoming vital to Namibia’s economy, with the potential to create employment opportunities in both upstream activities and supporting industries.
“It’s important that we change that into legislation—into a law that directs how this industry needs to be regulated and how local Namibians can benefit. We’re on the right track, but we must move faster,” he said.
He stressed that Namibians must acquire the necessary skills to leverage opportunities in the sector, while businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), should contribute to shaping the local content policy to ensure it safeguards Namibian interests.
“These services include transportation, logistics, accommodation, hospitality, and others. As Namibians, this is a new industry for us, and many may not yet be fully prepared to provide these services,” he said.
Uirab acknowledged the challenges of immediate participation in the oil and gas industry’s core activities but highlighted that businesses could first enter through support services while training young professionals for direct industry roles.
“If we do that, we will ensure that, maybe not immediately, but in the coming years, we become significant players in this industry. The reality is that it is a challenge to immediately engage at the core of this sector.”
He also cited the lack of industry-specific skills as a major hurdle and urged international oil companies to educate Namibians on industry requirements to better prepare them for emerging opportunities.
“We must call upon oil majors like Total to educate Namibians on their requirements so that people can equip themselves with the necessary skills and identify available opportunities. At the moment, many Namibians may not even be aware of what those opportunities are.”
Uirab encouraged Namibians to take a proactive approach in seeking out opportunities while also urging oil companies to share relevant information with the local business community.
“We must stand up and take the initiative, but we also call on oil majors to be willing to share information with Namibians so that they can benefit from these services.”
This call follows the Cabinet’s approval of the National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy, which recognizes Namibia’s petroleum resources as a national asset. The policy aims to ensure that oil and gas developments translate into an improved quality of life for Namibians through a robust local content framework.
