Presidential Special Advisor and Head of the Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the President, Kornelia Shilunga, says Namibia can learn from Angola’s decades of experience in designing fiscal regimes, local content legislation and governance structures.
In a speech read on her behalf by Petroleum Commissioner Maggy Shino during the Angola Oil & Gas 2025 Conference and Exhibition last week, Shilunga said local content remains at the heart of Namibia’s petroleum strategy.
She emphasised that revenues from oil and gas must circulate within the economy to empower people, businesses, and institutions, rather than flow outward.
“Angolan institutions, universities and training centres can partner with Namibia to train engineers, geoscientists and technicians.
“Namibian SMEs can collaborate with established Angolan suppliers to integrate into the regional supply chain. By aligning infrastructure, ports, pipelines and power networks, we can build a more integrated and resilient energy market,” Shilunga said.
She added that Namibia’s vision is to ensure that the wealth generated from petroleum resources does not leave behind only rigs and memories, but rather lasting development and prosperity.
Shilunga underscored the importance of regional collaboration as Africa’s new wave of producers enters the global energy stage.
She highlighted how lessons learned by Angola over the last 50 years can guide Namibia’s journey as an emerging petroleum producer.
“Today, as independent nations, we stand together once again, this time not on the battlefield of liberation, but on the frontier of energy development.
“Just as Angola celebrates its 50 years of independence with hard-earned pride, Namibia is preparing to celebrate its own journey of sovereignty and energy development,” Shilunga said.
Angola’s half-century of oil production, Shilunga noted, offers critical lessons for new producers like Namibia. Yet hydrocarbons alone cannot guarantee inclusive growth. “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 stated.
Namibia and Angola share not only borders but also geological similarities in their offshore basins. This, Shino pointed out, provides a natural foundation for closer cooperation in areas such as policy alignment, skills transfer, enterprise development, and regional integration.
By strengthening Angola–Namibia collaboration, both countries stand to drive not only the development of their oil, gas, and energy resources but also the growth of their broader economies.
