Namibia is poised to leverage its historic relationship with Angola to fuel a new era of economic prosperity, with the recent Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2025 Conference serving as a critical platform for this strategic alignment. Delivering a powerful keynote address on behalf of Presidential Special Advisor Kornelia Shilunga, Namibia’s Petroleum Commissioner, Maggy Shino, outlined a national vision where collaboration, not competition, defines the country’s journey as an emerging energy giant.
Reframing the nations’ shared history, Shino declared, “Today, as independent nations, we stand together once again, this time not on the battlefield of liberation, but on the frontier of energy development.” She positioned Angola’s 50 years of oil production experience as an invaluable blueprint for Namibia, which stands on the cusp of transformation due to major offshore discoveries.
For Namibia, the path forward is defined by conscious choice. Commissioner Shino emphatically stated that the discovery of hydrocarbons alone is not a guarantee of national prosperity. “The policies we adopt, the partnerships we foster and the strategies we pursue will determine whether our resources become a blessing for all or a missed opportunity,” she told the conference, underscoring a core principle of the Namibian government’s petroleum strategy.
The commissioner detailed a practical framework for cooperation, built on the geological similarities Namibia shares with its northern neighbour. This includes a direct appeal to learn from Angola’s decades of experience in crafting fiscal regimes, local content laws, and robust governance structures. The plan extends to skills development, proposing partnerships between Angolan institutions and Namibian trainees to build a local workforce of engineers, geoscientists, and technicians.
Furthermore, Shino highlighted opportunities for Namibian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to integrate into regional supply chains by collaborating with established Angolan service providers. By aligning infrastructure plans for ports, pipelines, and power networks, the two nations can build a more integrated and resilient energy market that benefits both economies.
At the heart of this strategy is Namibia’s unwavering commitment to local content, ensuring that oil and gas revenues circulate within the domestic economy to empower its citizens and businesses rather than flowing outward. This collaboration with Angola is seen as a key driver not just for developing oil and gas resources, but for catalysing the development of Namibia’s broader economy for generations to come.