In a recent letter received from the office of the Honourable Minister Thomas K. Alweendo (MP), it stated; “I hereby write to express our support for the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference 2023 which holds great promise for fostering dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders in Namibia and the international oil and gas value chain. The Ministry of Mines and Energy would like to assure you that it remains at your service, pertaining to our participation at the event."

The Ministry, most specifically the Oil Commissioner, will be closely involved in the planning of the conference - which is expected to attract over 700 delegates - and help shape its scope and outcome alongside hosts; the Economic Association of Namibia (EAN), Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) plus strategic partners, the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR).

Namibia is fast emerging as one of the world’s final frontiers for oil exploration with the sizeable oil discoveries offshore Namibia. These accumulations are sufficient to turn the country into a major hub of upstream oil and gas exploration activities and a significant player on the global oil and gas stage. 

Against this background, the event will bring together key role players in Namibia and the international oil and gas value chain, to exchange views on the potential opportunities and challenges in establishing the oil and gas sector in Namibia with the aim of forming a strategic roadmap for both the public and private sectors on how the country can best benefit these investments. Its programme will explore the issues around investment opportunities, financing, value chains, and infrastructure, identify the required skills, employment creation as well as economic participation of local communities.

Furthermore, a core focus of the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference will be placed on proposing ideas and strategies that will ensure that investments in the sector do not create an enclave around oil and gas production sites, but lead to the development of an integrated industrial base with backward and forward linkages to the rest of the economy, creating sustainable jobs and contributing to the social welfare of Namibia’s people.

Shiwana Ndeunyema, Acting Managing Director, of the event’s strategic partner, NAMCOR added; "NAMCOR endorses this conference and calls for local and international stakeholder support in every manner possible".