Momentum in Namibia’s upstream petroleum sector has intensified pressure on government and industry to accelerate skills development, finalise policy frameworks and roll out digital systems that support meaningful local participation.
Special Advisor to the President and Head of the Upstream Petroleum Unit, Kornelia K. Shilunga, said recent discoveries in the Orange Basin, together with the Kavango West 1X announcement, have shifted Namibia from a frontier exploration country to an emerging petroleum jurisdiction with long-term economic potential.
She said the transition requires institutional mechanisms to operate at a higher level, particularly in skills governance and the enforcement of local content obligations.
Shilunga said government is finalising the National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy, anchored in Section 14 of the Petroleum Act and aligned with the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
She said the policy is designed to ensure Namibians benefit at every stage of the petroleum value chain, with specific emphasis on employment creation and value addition.
“The government remains fully committed to strengthening the regulatory environment, enhancing institutional governance and ensuring that local content obligations are measurable, enforceable and impactful across the upstream value chain,” Shilunga said.
She added that the next phase of sector development will hinge on effective policy implementation, skills readiness and coordinated public-private engagement.
Deputy Minister of Industrialisation, Mines and Energy, Gaudentia K. Kröhne, said offshore discoveries since 2022 and positive indications from the Kavango West well require Namibia to prepare its workforce while investment decisions are still pending.
She said the urgency is driven by anticipated operational timelines and the need to secure specialised skills early.
Kröhne said Petrofund has invested in training and scholarships since 1992 and has supported more than 400 beneficiaries, including over 70 individuals trained in specialised upstream skills covering exploration, development and decommissioning.
She said partnerships with industry operators have become increasingly important as skills demands grow.
Petrofund chief executive Nillian Mulemi said sector growth is already creating demand for technical placements and international attachments.
She said operators are working with Petrofund to deploy Namibians to Malaysia, South Africa and India for specialised training, while others are participating in pilot programmes in subsea engineering and offshore operations.
Mulemi said these developments informed the launch of PetroConnect, a digital platform aimed at aligning national skills capacity with evolving industry requirements.
The platform allows employers to subscribe, post vacancies, filter candidates and manage recruitment pipelines, while enabling Petrofund to monitor skills gaps and guide training interventions.
“Namibia’s upstream outlook places responsibility on both institutions and industry to strengthen governance, adopt digital systems and ensure that local talent pipelines are ready,” Mulemi said.
