WINDHOEK, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Namibia will ensure that its emerging oil and gas sector becomes a driver of sustainable and inclusive development, with benefits extending beyond resource extraction, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said on Wednesday.
In remarks delivered on her behalf by Special Advisor and Head of the Upstream Petroleum Unit Kornelia Shilunga at the official opening of the third Namibia Oil and Gas Conference in the national capital of Windhoek, the president said the country's success would be measured "not in the number of barrels extracted, but in the number of lives uplifted."
She outlined a strategy to position oil and gas as a catalyst for a diversified, knowledge-driven economy, in line with Namibia's long-term development goals under Vision 2023 and the forthcoming Sixth National Development Plan.
According to Nandi-Ndaitwah, resource revenues should be channeled toward infrastructure, human capital, and local enterprise development, while the environment is safeguarded and commitments to a just energy transition are upheld.
"Oil and gas development must create decent jobs for Namibians across the value chain, build domestic capacity through skills transfer and technology sharing, and stimulate economic diversification by linking with manufacturing, logistics, energy, and other sectors," she said.
The president also stressed that these measures would help Namibia avoid over-reliance on hydrocarbons, while ensuring that the country's natural resources contribute to the well-being of both current and future generations.
The three-day conference, held under the theme "From Exploration to Action: Positioning Namibia as the Next Energy Frontier," has attracted over 1,100 delegates and 73 exhibitors.
It aims to foster dialogue among policymakers, industry leaders, and investors as Namibia transitions from exploration to commercial production of its recent offshore discoveries. ■