Namibian businesses to be tested for oil readiness

The Economic Association of Namibia (EAN) says it will run a study to see how ready Namibian businesses are to take advantage of developments in the oil and gas sector.

Speaking at the media launch of the fourthth National Oil and Gas Conference, which is convened by the EAN, association chairperson Jason Kasuto says Namibian businesses are key to turning the country’s oil resources into dividends for the whole country.

“This year we are going to measure what readiness truly looks like. [This will be] the first independent measure of how ready Namibian businesses really are to deliver work in oil and gas,” says Kasuto.

He says the association intends to unveil the results at this year’s oil and gas conference and issue an official report before the end of the year.

In August 2024, an industrial baseline survey of the oil and gas industry in Namibia, commissioned by Deloitte, showed that capital, bureaucracy, and a shortage of skilled people were all roadblocks to full integration of Namibian business in the oil and gas economy.