Namibia faces a harsh reality: Because of widespread unemployment, many households cannot afford electricity.
While discussions around increasing access are important, the real challenge is affordability.
Electricity production comes at a cost and with limited public funds, providing free electricity to everyone is not viable.
However, targeted subsidies can help support low-income households, though this is only a short-term solution.
The long-term answer lies in job creation, ensuring every household has an income, which is at the heart of our commitment to the people of Namibia.
Our energy policy is guided by this principle.
For Namibians to improve their quality of life, there must be jobs and a reliable energy supply is essential to creating an environment where employment can flourish.
WEIGHING THE POWER ODDS
However, the current focus on green hydrogen is a distraction.
This emerging global industry offers limited job creation and is of little relevance to Namibia’s immediate needs.
With unemployment being our most pressing issue, we cannot prioritise green hydrogen as a strategic sector.
Instead, it will be treated like any other industry – encouraged to operate freely within Namibian regulations, benefiting from a fair and competitive tax regime and operating within a reformed business environment.
Investors in green hydrogen are welcome but our focus will remain on sectors that promise meaningful job growth.
Meanwhile, a far more promising opportunity lies with our natural gas reserves.
The Kudu Gas field, discovered in 1974, along with recent offshore discoveries by Shell, Total and Galp, offers a real chance to industrialise Namibia and stimulate growth.
As a transitional energy source, natural gas is environmentally favourable compared to many alternatives.
In countries like Germany, gas provides about a quarter of energy supply.
VIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY
Namibia has long aimed to add value to its resources, and gas presents a viable opportunity to do so – whether by generating electricity or producing fertilisers, a significant opportunity for domestic industry development and exports is being ignored.
Access to affordable energy is essential for development, and Namibia can position itself as both a reliable energy provider and an economic hub in the region.
Ensuring a stable energy supply at reasonable rates will significantly improve the local environment for entrepreneurship, but will also attract vast foreign and regional investment.
With the right policies in place, Namibia can become a leading investment destination in the region and on the continent, driving sustainable job creation and growth.
Developing the gas sector will also expand our power infrastructure, improving access to electricity within Namibia and allowing us to export energy to neighbouring countries.
This infrastructure will not only serve our current needs, but could also support future energy developments.
Through the strategic exploitation of our gas reserves, Namibia will become an important player in the regional power pool.
TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
Should the day come when Namibia becomes a nuclear power producer, something we intend to explore in detail, this infrastructure could help to pave the way to becoming the largest exporter in the region, and serve future generations – our children and grandchildren – well.
Oil presents another significant transformative opportunity for Namibia, though it may not directly generate large-scale employment.
We will ensure that the industry employs Namibians where possible and, over time, trains and upskills Namibians so that Namibians can become local and global leaders in the oil and gas sector.
Further, we will work with the industry to ensure that local businesses that can provide goods and services to the industry are prioritised and developed as a matter of urgency.
In addition, we will ensure that Namibia secures a fair share of the revenue from oil production, with a commitment to transparency and responsible management.
Drawing inspiration from Norway’s model, this revenue will be divided – some saved for future generations, and the rest invested in infrastructure, entrepreneurship and industrial development to support economic growth and job creation beyond the oil and gas industry.
STRATEGY AND VISION
The responsible use of our natural resources has the potential to transform Namibia.
With careful planning and strategic investments, we can ensure that the benefits of these resources extend far beyond the present, creating opportunities for generations to come.
Our vision is a Namibia where energy enables growth, every citizen has the opportunity to thrive and our resources build a sustainable future for all.
Through sustainable growth and job creation, all Namibians will not only have access to electricity and be able to afford to pay for it, but our people’s greater aspirations and future desires will become realisable.
- * Panduleni Itula is the president of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and is contesting the presidential election.
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