Vice President Lucia Witbooi Calls for Namibia to Turn Oil Discoveries into National Benefits

Windhoek, 19 August 2026 .

Statement by Her Excellency Lucia Witbooi, Vice President of the Republic of Namibia, on the Occasion of the Official Opening of the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference 2026, under the theme “From Decision to Dividend – Making Namibia’s Oil Work for Namibians”.

Director of Ceremonies;

Honourable Modestus Amutse, Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy;

Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers present;

Honourable Members of Parliament;

Honourable Kornelia Shilunga, Special Advisor and Head of the Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the President;

His Excellency Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum;

Honourable Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, Governor of the Khomas Region;

Honourable Governors of other regions present here;

Your Worship Councillor Ndeshihafela Larandja, Mayor of the City of Windhoek;

Your Worships the Mayors of other local authorities present here;

Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps;

Mr. Jason Kasuto, Chairman of the Economic Association of Namibia and host of this Conference;

Mrs. Julia Muetudhana, Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, and co-host;

Dr. Clemens von Doderer, Resident Representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, and co-host;

Mr. Shakwa Nyambe, Managing Partner of SNC Incorporated, co-organising partner;

Mr. Travis Smithard, Chief Executive Officer of Rhino Resources;

Ms. Victoria Sibeya, Managing Director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia;

Captains of industry, esteemed investors, sponsors and exhibitors;

Distinguished speakers, panelists and delegates;

Members of the Media;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good morning.

It is my distinct honour to join you today on this important occasion marking the official opening of the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference under the theme: “From Decision to Dividend: Making Namibia’s Oil Work for Namibians”.

First and foremost, I bring you the warm greetings and full support of Her Excellency Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Republic of Namibia, who is unable to join us today due to other equally important national duties. Her Excellency has delegated me to deliver this statement on her behalf, and the Head of State wishes this Conference a resounding success.

Allow me to commend the Economic Association of Namibia, in partnership with the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, together with the strategic and co-organising partners Namibia Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), Shakwa Nyambe and Company Incorporated (SNC) and Rhino Resources, for convening this important national platform. At this stage of Namibia’s petroleum journey, dialogue between Government, industry, investors, financiers, entrepreneurs, communities, academia and civil society is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

To our international guests who have travelled from across our continent and from across the oceans, I extend a warm welcome to Namibia, the Land of the Brave. You have come not simply as visitors, but as partners in a national undertaking whose consequences will extend well beyond the life of any single field or project. We trust that your engagement here will be characterised by candour, mutual respect, responsible investment and a shared commitment to creating lasting value.

Director of Ceremonies;

Namibia stands at a defining moment in its economic history. The petroleum discoveries made in the Orange Basin have transformed the country’s global energy profile and attracted some of the world’s leading energy companies and investors. Exploration and appraisal activity continue to expand our understanding of the basin, while major discoveries such as Venus and Mopane are moving the national conversation from exploration toward development and production. Recent exploration results in Shell’s PEL 0039, including the Merlin-1X well, have further demonstrated that the basin continues to hold significant geological potential. At the same time, the entry of new international partners into Namibia’s exploration portfolio demonstrates the continuing confidence in the country’s petroleum prospects.

But let me state clearly: discovery is not the destination. A resource beneath our waters becomes a national success only when it is responsibly developed and translated into tangible improvements in the lives of our people. It must become employment for Namibians, opportunities for our enterprises, skills for our young people, technology for our institutions, infrastructure for our economy, revenues for national development and savings for future generations.

This is why the theme of this Conference is particularly appropriate. The journey from decision to dividend is not merely a technical sequence from exploration to development and production. It is a national value-creation chain. Every decision taken today about field development, procurement, infra