President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on Namibia to position itself within the global nuclear value chain, saying the country’s uranium resources should be leveraged to drive industrialisation, energy development and broader economic growth beyond mineral extraction.
Speaking at the opening of the 13th Chamber of Mines Mining Expo and Conference in Windhoek on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia’s status as one of the world’s leading uranium producers presents an opportunity to capture greater value from the nuclear industry.
“As one of the world’s leading uranium-producing nations, Namibia is uniquely positioned to participate meaningfully in the broader nuclear value chain. The country’s uranium resources represent an opportunity that extends beyond mining itself and should increasingly be viewed as a strategic national asset capable of supporting wider socio-economic development,” she said.
The President’s remarks come as the government intensifies efforts to promote local beneficiation and value addition as part of its industrialisation agenda, with mining identified as one of the key economic enablers under the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia remains committed to maintaining a stable and competitive investment environment while ensuring the country’s mineral wealth contributes to domestic industrial development.
“Namibia offers a stable, transparent and competitive investment environment and is committed to attracting responsible investment while ensuring local beneficiation and economic growth,” she said.
She stressed that continued collaboration between government and the mining industry would be essential to identify practical opportunities to strengthen Namibia’s industrial base without undermining its attractiveness as a mining investment destination.
“In this regard, continued dialogue between the Government and the industry remains essential in identifying practical opportunities that enhance Namibia’s industrial base while preserving the country’s international competitiveness as a mining investment destination,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed government’s commitment to working with industry stakeholders to ensure national development priorities deliver measurable economic benefits.
“The Government remains committed to collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that our targets across the seven key priority areas and eight economic enablers are met and translate into measurable benefits for our people,” she said.
