Maggy Shino, Petroleum Commissioner at Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons, underscored the importance of regional collaboration as Africa’s new wave of producers enters the global energy stage during the Angola Oil & Gas 2025 Conference and Exhibition last week.
Delivering a keynote address on behalf of Kornelia Shilunga, Presidential Special Advisor and Head of the Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the President, Shino highlighted how lessons learned by Angola over the last 50 years can support Namibia’s journey as an emerging energy 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,” said Shino. “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.”
Angola’s half-century of oil production offers critical lessons for emerging producers like Namibia, where significant offshore discoveries have positioned the country on the cusp of transformation.
Yet, Shino restated that hydrocarbons alone cannot guarantee inclusive development.
“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 provides a natural foundation for closer cooperation in areas such as policy alignment, skills transfer, enterprise development and regional integration.
Shino said, “Namibia can learn from Angola’s decades of experience in designing fiscal regimes, local content legislation and governance structures. 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.”
Local content remains at the heart of Namibia’s petroleum strategy. Shino stressed that revenues from oil and gas must circulate within the economy to empower people, businesses and institutions rather than flow outward.
“Our 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,” said Shino.
By strengthening Angola-Namibia collaboration, both countries stand to drive, not only the development of their oil, gas and energy resources, but the development of their broader economies.
