The 2025 Global African Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek opened with a clear message from Namibia’s leadership: Africa’s hydrogen revolution must move beyond promises, and it must do so in a way that avoids the extractive mistakes of the past.
Addressing delegates from 75 countries, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mines and Energy, Hon. Natangue Ithete, said the time for speeches and documents had passed. His call was echoed by Ambassador Dr. Kaire Mbuende, Director General of the National Planning Commission, who laid out how Namibia’s new National Development Plan Six (NDP6) would embed green industrialisation as a driver of transformation.
Ithete’s speech was forceful and direct, aimed at shifting the debate from aspiration to delivery.
“We have spoken enough. We have written enough. Now let us transform our speeches into real results that our people can see and feel,” he said.
He argued that the green transition must bring dignity, jobs and empowerment.
“Green industrialisation is a pathway to dignity, jobs and empowerment for our communities. It is a catalyst to breaking this cycle of exporting raw materials and import dependency,” he declared.
Ithete praised the investments Namibia has already attracted. Projects such as Hyphen Hydrogen Energy’s large-scale development in //Kharas, the Daures Green Hydrogen Village, and Cleanergy Solutions Namibia’s refuelling station and hydrogen academy in Walvis Bay were evidence of progress, he said. But he warned against measuring success only in terms of megawatts or tonnes of ammonia.
“Our work is not done if the youth in our villages cannot point to the impact of these projects in their lives,” he told delegates.
“We will fail in our effort if we cannot tell our parents in the community level how many jobs we have created, how many young people are being trained with new skills, and how women are being empowered to lead in these sectors.”
The Deputy Prime Minister linked the energy transition directly to basic development. Green hydrogen, he said, had to be part of a broader strategy to expand access to health, education and livelihoods. “Each project must be able to point to school buildings, skills transfer, families lifted out of poverty and communities made stronger. This is the test of leadership and this is how we will write a new story for the African continent — one of resilience, progress and shared prosperity.”
He was equally clear that Namibia must consume part of its own green hydrogen to drive domestic value chains. “Let us now work on consuming what we produce locally to drive local industrialisation, value addition and energy security,” he said.
Export contracts, he noted, would mean little if Namibians themselves continued to struggle with energy scarcity and unemployment.
Ithete closed with a call for accountability. “Let this conference be a roadmap to answering those questions not through estimations but through practicals. Let each of us commit to impactful, measurable goals we can report and celebrate next year when we come together again. We must demand accountability from ourselves and from each other.”
Mbuende: “Policy coherence is essential”
Ambassador Dr. Kaire Mbuende followed with a more technocratic but equally firm message: Namibia’s hydrogen ambitions will succeed only if they are built on coherence, integration and value addition.
He reminded delegates that NDP6, launched earlier this year, had placed green industrialisation at the centre of Namibia’s development vision.
“NDP6 sets bold targets for renewable energy deployment, green hydrogen production and value addition, including fertilizers, green steel and clean fuels,” he said.
Mbuende stressed that Namibia is not content to export raw hydrogen molecules to foreign markets. “We are committed to building industries, creating jobs and empowering communities,” he said. “The hydrogen revolution must not replicate the extractive models of the past. It must inaugurate a new era of value addition on Namibian soil.”
For him, coherence across government is non-negotiable.
“Our policy is designed to capture value along the entire hydrogen value chain — from production and storage to local utilisation in mining, transport and manufacturing,” he explained.
“This is done to ensure alignment between the multiple domains of the hydrogen economy, such as energy, environment, industry, trade, education and finance. Without this coherence, we risk inefficiency, duplication and missed opportunities.”
Mbuende addressed investors directly, offering both reassurance and expectation.
“It is gratifying to know that many investors have shown keen interest in Namibia’s hydrogen economy. We, as government, will do everything in our power to ensure that your investment yields high returns,” he said. “By the same token, we seek partnerships that transfer skills, create jobs and build industries locally.”
His closing remarks reinforced the Deputy Prime Minister’s sense of urgency. “Our people have great expectations from this summit. We implore the summit to craft concrete resolutions, actionable strategies and binding commitments,” he said.
A united front
Taken together, the speeches of Ithete and Mbuende illustrated Namibia’s dual approach to hydrogen: urgency and delivery on the one hand, coherence and structure on the other.
Ithete made the case that projects must be judged by their impact on citizens, not only by their financial returns or export potential.
Mbuende underscored that without policy integration and value addition, those same projects could repeat the mistakes of the past.
Addressing delegates from 75 countries, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mines and Energy, Hon. Natangue Ithete, said the time for speeches and documents had passed. His call was echoed by Ambassador Dr. Kaire Mbuende, Director General of the National Planning Commission, who laid out how Namibia’s new National Development Plan Six (NDP6) would embed green industrialisation as a driver of transformation.
Ithete’s speech was forceful and direct, aimed at shifting the debate from aspiration to delivery.
“We have spoken enough. We have written enough. Now let us transform our speeches into real results that our people can see and feel,” he said.
He argued that the green transition must bring dignity, jobs and empowerment.
“Green industrialisation is a pathway to dignity, jobs and empowerment for our communities. It is a catalyst to breaking this cycle of exporting raw materials and import dependency,” he declared.
Ithete praised the investments Namibia has already attracted. Projects such as Hyphen Hydrogen Energy’s large-scale development in //Kharas, the Daures Green Hydrogen Village, and Cleanergy Solutions Namibia’s refuelling station and hydrogen academy in Walvis Bay were evidence of progress, he said. But he warned against measuring success only in terms of megawatts or tonnes of ammonia.
“Our work is not done if the youth in our villages cannot point to the impact of these projects in their lives,” he told delegates.
“We will fail in our effort if we cannot tell our parents in the community level how many jobs we have created, how many young people are being trained with new skills, and how women are being empowered to lead in these sectors.”
The Deputy Prime Minister linked the energy transition directly to basic development. Green hydrogen, he said, had to be part of a broader strategy to expand access to health, education and livelihoods. “Each project must be able to point to school buildings, skills transfer, families lifted out of poverty and communities made stronger. This is the test of leadership and this is how we will write a new story for the African continent — one of resilience, progress and shared prosperity.”
He was equally clear that Namibia must consume part of its own green hydrogen to drive domestic value chains. “Let us now work on consuming what we produce locally to drive local industrialisation, value addition and energy security,” he said.
Export contracts, he noted, would mean little if Namibians themselves continued to struggle with energy scarcity and unemployment.
Ithete closed with a call for accountability. “Let this conference be a roadmap to answering those questions not through estimations but through practicals. Let each of us commit to impactful, measurable goals we can report and celebrate next year when we come together again. We must demand accountability from ourselves and from each other.”
Mbuende: “Policy coherence is essential”
Ambassador Dr. Kaire Mbuende followed with a more technocratic but equally firm message: Namibia’s hydrogen ambitions will succeed only if they are built on coherence, integration and value addition.
He reminded delegates that NDP6, launched earlier this year, had placed green industrialisation at the centre of Namibia’s development vision.
“NDP6 sets bold targets for renewable energy deployment, green hydrogen production and value addition, including fertilizers, green steel and clean fuels,” he said.
Mbuende stressed that Namibia is not content to export raw hydrogen molecules to foreign markets. “We are committed to building industries, creating jobs and empowering communities,” he said. “The hydrogen revolution must not replicate the extractive models of the past. It must inaugurate a new era of value addition on Namibian soil.”
For him, coherence across government is non-negotiable.
“Our policy is designed to capture value along the entire hydrogen value chain — from production and storage to local utilisation in mining, transport and manufacturing,” he explained.
“This is done to ensure alignment between the multiple domains of the hydrogen economy, such as energy, environment, industry, trade, education and finance. Without this coherence, we risk inefficiency, duplication and missed opportunities.”
Mbuende addressed investors directly, offering both reassurance and expectation.
“It is gratifying to know that many investors have shown keen interest in Namibia’s hydrogen economy. We, as government, will do everything in our power to ensure that your investment yields high returns,” he said. “By the same token, we seek partnerships that transfer skills, create jobs and build industries locally.”
His closing remarks reinforced the Deputy Prime Minister’s sense of urgency. “Our people have great expectations from this summit. We implore the summit to craft concrete resolutions, actionable strategies and binding commitments,” he said.
A united front
Taken together, the speeches of Ithete and Mbuende illustrated Namibia’s dual approach to hydrogen: urgency and delivery on the one hand, coherence and structure on the other.
Ithete made the case that projects must be judged by their impact on citizens, not only by their financial returns or export potential.
Mbuende underscored that without policy integration and value addition, those same projects could repeat the mistakes of the past.
