Oil and gas: Dialogue creates space for civil discourse

It is human nature to have either euphoric or dysphoric feelings about a new development.

Equally so, when something is new, there is often a level of disinformation or an infodemic that can hinder progress.

This is often associated with a society that is disproportionately informed.

Lack of education and consultation are huge impediments, as it means that a society will only believe after seeing.

On the other hand, once a country happens to have a bad or good record, it will also determine the different forms of acceptance from the public.

Additionally, a lack of opportunities, especially in a developing country, will usher in another perspective about supporting new initiatives or remaining dormant about such development.

Obviously, an unemployed individual would like to see such, but a question may be, do they qualify to be the benefactor in terms of capacity?

In a democratic state like Namibia, as complicated and silly as it sometimes can be, challenges of this nature have also been observed and continue to be experienced due to the unfamiliarity and enormity of the new industries planned. Green hydrogen and oil and gas are among them.

For those that are adaptable to changes, they will embrace the new development; those resistant to changes will be loath due to the lack of know-how.

This tells us that there is a vacuum of education, and therefore, for any new development to take place, the public is armed to shoot.

One has to understand that where there is no room for debates, expressive speech, politics, and demonstration, there is no competition of ideas.

Botswana’s president, Duma Boko, was quoted as saying: “The reason why development and transformation in Burkina Faso and Rwanda are so quick and admirable is because they are operating in a different environment where their words are obeyed instantly without questions. Traore wakes up in the morning, makes a pronouncement, and the next thing is a law; it is policies, and later actions follow.”

He continued: “Those who came before me, they did not fail because they did not have ideas; they did, they just did not implement them.”

Without being negative, there are successful stories that are not resource-based and have been outstanding in Africa that are bothersome when you think so deep. What makes Rwanda’s capital city remain the cleanest city all the time, and why has Ethiopia Airlines been the best airline in Africa for several years?

Accountability

Does this mean some countries are more superficial than others and had certain leadership that applied superior logic in addressing the issues that were affecting the people than others? Definitely, the right leadership is the sine qua non of any industrial state.

Although some of the aforementioned countries referred to above operate in an environment where there has not been a bastion of free inquiry, African leaders need to hold each other accountable for unnecessary practices such as bad governance, corruption, and failure to deliver on promises and initiatives of great magnitude.

Namibia is taking on mega projects, which is positive, but over the past 35 years, there have been failures in terms of taking bold steps and addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality.

Therefore, for any new proposed industrial project, ensure everyone has a self-consciousness to see such projects in binary terms.

Good or bad. Right or wrong. Thumbs up or thumbs down.

And once the public scepticism and cynicism become the order of the day, it will lead to riots and revolutionary uprisings, and it is never easy to get everything right through the barrel of the conflict instead of the peaceful resolution of differences.

Recently, Namibia welcomed one of Africa’s leading billionaires, Aliko Dangote.

Such visits should inspire not only multi-stakeholder consultations but also engagements that yield human-development-orientated and tangible results.

Meanwhile, global trade remains fragile amidst rising conflicts in the Middle East, while ongoing tensions among global powers as well as instability in Eastern Europe continue to cast uncertainty over international energy cooperation.

This underscores the importance of diversifying international investors, rather than allowing the industry to be dominated by a single player.

The Namibian government has a mammoth task in taking the Namibian people into confidence through action.

Failure to do so, Namibians will continue to view such projects in binary because they have preconceived opinions and believe that such projects only serve as an exploration zone for a few or are engineered for some to succeed through cutting corners and not as a ladder that can take Namibia to a promised land of the brave.

*Tio Nakasole is an analyst at Monasa Advisory and Associates. The views expressed do not represent those of his employer.