Windhoek
Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria Dr Peingeondjabi Shipoh has vowed to revive talks between the two governments to set up a joint oil refinery that could benefit both Africa’s most populous country and the diamond-producing country in southern Africa.
In an interview with New Era, Shipoh said the realisation of the joint oil refinery is one of the targets of the Abuja Mission, because of the immense benefits inherent in this very practicable project.
The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Republic of Namibia in 2014 proposed the construction of a joint oil refinery to be located at Walvis Bay to maximise cooperation in the area of energy. This decision was taken in March 2014 during two-day official visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Namibia on invitation of his counterpart, then president Hifikepunye Pohamba. It was also agreed that the joint oil refinery would be wholly privately financed.
“No doubt we stand to benefit immeasurably when it finally comes to fruition,” Shipoh said, adding that as it is now, former president Goodluck Jonathan unfortunately lost his re-election bid and there has subsequently been no clarity between the Nigerian ministries of petroleum and that of trade over which ministry is the appropriate authority to handle such a joint project.
“This project dates back more than 10 years. It was important for Namibia at that time, therefore former presidents Jonathan and Pohamba urged the technical people to finalise signing of the agreement during former president Jonathan’s visit to Namibia in 2014,” he stressed. He said signals came from the ministries that the agreement was ready for signature, but it dawned on them later that it was not finalised and signed.
Furthermore, Shipoh urged Namibian businesspeople interested in doing business with Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad to contact the Namibian High Commission in Abuja. Shipoh said since the establishment of full diplomatic relations in the early 1990s, relations between Namibia and Nigeria have been very good and have continued to improve.
“The two countries view each other as close partners in the developing world. Namibia also views Nigeria as a favourable developing market,” he said. For many years, Shipoh said, Namibia’s economic engagement with Nigeria has been limited, but the volume of trade between Nigeria and Namibia continues to grow at low levels.
“Relations stayed at the government-to-government level, consisting of agreements and development projects,” said Shipoh. However, relations have since greatly expanded into the private sector, with investment often directly encouraged by both the Namibian and Nigerian governments, he said.