President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says Namibia nearly lost the US$2.5 billion Dangote petroleum storage and pipeline investment because of bureaucratic delays, forcing her to personally intervene and persuade Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote not to abandon the project.
Speaking at the project’s official launch at Farm 58 near Walvis Bay on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, Nandi-Ndaitwah revealed that she had placed the investment directly under the Office of the President after becoming concerned that administrative obstacles could drive away another major investor.
“I apologise for the delays and frustrations you have experienced. We could have lost this project had there not been direct communication between you and me,” she told Dangote.
“I must inform Namibians that, when the team was becoming frustrated, I had to call Mr Dangote and plead with him to hold on and make it work.”
The president said she had expected the project to be under construction by now, following her first meeting with Dangote on 19 June 2025, when the businessman committed to investing in Namibia.
“My expectation was that, by this time, the project would already be underway. That was exactly the understanding we both had. I explained to him the urgency of the matter, and he agreed that it was urgent. On our part, we committed to treating it with urgency.”
The project involves a petroleum storage facility with a planned capacity of 600 million litres and a proposed regional pipeline network of approximately 1,700 kilometres, intended to connect Walvis Bay to fuel markets across Southern Africa.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said her decision to take personal responsibility for the Dangote investment was informed by previous experiences in which serious investors abandoned Namibia because of bureaucratic obstacles.
She singled out a proposed shipyard development that failed to materialise after investors spent four years attempting to establish the project.
“Some of those projects were significant. One that particularly comes to mind is the proposed establishment of a shipyard in Namibia. The investors were serious and wanted to move forward.”
“After four years, they had to withdraw. I was therefore determined not to miss this opportunity. I had to take personal responsibility for overseeing this project.”
The president said she subsequently instructed National Planning Commission director-general Kaire Mbuende to oversee the Dangote project and report directly to her on its progress.
She credited Mbuende with helping move the investment forward despite challenges encountered during the process.
Nandi-Ndaitwah warned that Namibia could not afford to continue losing investments because of slow government processes, particularly when the country needed economic opportunities to address poverty and unemployment.
“I believe the Namibian bureaucracy will now realise that, if we move slowly, our people will continue to languish in poverty. But if we move with speed, with a population of 3.01 million, I cannot see why Namibians should be poor. I repeat: we are too few to be poor in this country.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah announced that the petroleum investment would remain under presidential oversight until its completion, instructing ministries and public institutions to work closely with Dangote Industries.
She specifically called on the ministries responsible for industries, mines and energy, works and transport, and finance, alongside the National Planning Commission and Namport, to facilitate implementation.
“Please know that this project will remain a presidential project until it is completed.”
The president said mutual distrust between governments and multinational companies was another factor contributing to prolonged investment negotiations across Africa.
She argued that some multinational companies imposed demands on African countries that they would not make of European governments, while some companies were reluctant to trust African institutions.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the Dangote investment demonstrated the importance of cooperation between governments and African businesses in developing infrastructure and creating economic opportunities.
The president also invited Dangote to explore additional investments in Namibia, saying the country was prepared to welcome further projects beyond petroleum infrastructure.
“As Mr Dangote mentioned here, he has been given a blank cheque by the bank. Once again, you are welcome. I am also giving you a blank cheque for development purposes. And I am asking Namibians to join me in deciding what we would like the Dangote Group to invest in here in Namibia.”
She said Namibia’s investment priorities included agriculture, mining, energy, water, infrastructure and logistics, while emphasising the importance of mineral beneficiation and local value addition.
The president also revealed that the government was close to finalising a local content framework that would extend beyond the oil and gas industry to cover investments across the economy.
“I acknowledge that I initially concentrated on local content in the oil and gas sector, but we will broaden it to cover investment across Namibia.”
She urged Namibian businesses to develop the skills and capacity necessary to participate in major investment projects and called for employment opportunities to prioritise Namibians, followed by citizens of other African countries.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also criticised the practice of launching projects that subsequently remain undeveloped for years, revealing that she had generally stopped attending groundbreaking ceremonies.
“You know, I have said that in Namibia I have stopped attending groundbreaking ceremonies. Sometimes we break the ground, and more than ten years pass without seeing any work take place on that site. I have told people not to invite me to groundbreaking ceremonies anymore.”
She said she now preferred to inspect project sites and return when developments were ready to begin operating.
“I have given myself two responsibilities. I will inspect the site and, when the project is completed, return to hand over the key or switch it on so that it can begin operating.”
However, she said her confidence in Dangote Industries had persuaded her to make an exception for the Walvis Bay project.
“However, because of the trust and confidence I have in the Dangote Group, I have accepted the privilege of officially launching the groundbreaking of the Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline Project. I wish everyone who will work on this project great success.”
The president said she hoped to return to Walvis Bay to commission the completed facility, rather than witness another investment announcement that failed to produce tangible results.
