Govt urged to speed up readiness ahead of oil production

Brazilian petroleum geologist and Petrobras Studies president Márcio Mello has warned that Namibia has to pick up its pace to ensure it is ready for the demands that will come with oil production.

“We are not ready. We have to put every effort possible, as President [Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah] said, to get the people of Namibia prepared for what is coming,” he said during a panel discussion at the 8th Namibia International Energy Conference held last week in Windhoek.

Mello warned that time is limited.

“We have to run. We have to run. Namibia is walking. We have to run. We do not have time,” he said, adding that once production starts, activity would intensify rapidly.

“When the first oil comes… this will be the frenzy. We have to be prepared,” he said.

Mello said Namibia is part of a global wave of offshore oil developments, pointing to Suriname, Guyana, Uruguay and Brazil as comparable basins to Namibia’s Orange Basin.

He said momentum is shifting towards Namibia but stressed that readiness must match opportunity, including a strong focus on practical technology, training, and education.

Mello also cautioned that local content could either support development or undermine it if poorly implemented.

“Local content could be fantastic, but could be a poison,” he said, underlining that how Namibia manages its emerging oil industry in terms of capacity, skills and infrastructure is crucial.

Managing expectations

The executive director at the trade ministry, Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati, said government is working on key legislative frameworks to support the sector, including the Petroleum Amendment Act and the Investment Promotion Facilitation Bill.

She said the laws are intended to provide clarity and certainty to investors and strengthen Namibia’s readiness for oil and gas development.

She added that government is aware that the opportunity will not remain open indefinitely and said work is ongoing to prepare the country.

Nghipondoka-Robiati also said Namibia is still defining its local content model.

The executive director acknowledged that the sector is capital-intensive and will not immediately absorb large numbers of workers, raising questions about how employment expectations will be managed.

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