Petroleum commissioner at the mines and energy ministry Maggy Shino will lead discussions on investment and opportunities emerging across Namibia’s energy landscape.
This will take place on 26 January 2023 in London at the ‘African Energy New Year Reception’.
“The reception is centred on providing a platform to support energy initiatives that drive economic growth and human development across Africa, uniting financiers with African stakeholders. Shino’s role as a speaker will help shape dialogue around the need to enhance Africa-directed capital to develop a thriving oil and gas industry in Africa,” reads a statement released on Monday by the African Energy Chamber (AEC).
The AEC added that Shino would lay the foundation for robust discussions that will continue during African Energy Week (AEW), taking place from 16 to 23 October 2023 in Cape Town.
Representing Namibia, Shino will facilitate conversations around improved Africa-Europe partnerships, the need for enhanced intra-Africa trade and creating an enabling environment in Africa.
Namibia, for its part, represents one of Africa’s most promising energy markets, with opportunities across both the hydrocarbon and green energy landscapes offering lucrative financing prospects for regional and global investors. Last year, two sizable oil and gas discoveries were made by global energy majors Shell and TotalEnergies, while Hyphen Hydrogen Energy announced the launch of the country’s first gigawatt-scale green hydrogen project.
AEC stated these developments, as well as the number of other large-scale projects currently underway across the continent, are set to not only kick-start a new era of socioeconomic growth for Africa, but also a regional energy market expansion, job-creation and industrialisation, driven largely by improved Africa-Europe partnerships.
Speaking to New Era, the petroleum commissioner said: “The position that I will voice is that of showcasing opportunities across the Namibian energy sector to European investors, with more focus of attracting investments aimed at creating energy security.”
She further noted she will be leading discussions that will hopefully shift investment mindsets towards rewarding opportunities that Namibia and Africa as a whole offers during the current era of climate change-conscious transitions.
“The focus of the discussion from my perspective will be on attracting investments in developing energy initiatives that drive economic growth and are pro human development, looking at the unique Namibian energy landscape which is being driven by the recent major discoveries in the Orange Basin. The discussion will be steered towards attracting more investments into the Namibian exploration and development sectors with the aim of finding the much-needed capital to ensure the multiplication of the recent success experienced in the Orange Basin to other available highly prospective areas offshore and onshore Namibia,” Shino explained.
She added that the discussion would also move towards the need for capital flow into Africa through a better African-European relationship.
Meanwhile, NJ Ayuk, executive chairman at the AEC, added the Invest in African Energy New Year Reception will connect European investors with African opportunities, enabling new deals to be signed and partnerships formed that will transform Africa’s energy sector. With AEW 2023 narrowing its focus even more on increasing investment in Africa, the reception will boost discussions and negotiations.
Ayuk added: “Shino will set the tone for Namibian dialogue, providing current and potential investors with the insight they need to make informed decisions about investing in Namibia. As one of Africa’s most promising energy markets, investment opportunities are on the rise, and Shino will showcase these to investors during the Invest in African Energy event in London.”