The Namibian Association for Offshore Oil and Gas Service Providers (NAOGSP) held its inaugural board meeting at Walvis Bay on Saturday.
The association aims to ensure Namibian businesses and communities enjoy a just stake in Namibia’s prospective oil and gas industry.
Some 256 service companies participated in introductory sessions at Walvis Bay, Lüderitz, and Oranjemund earlier this year.
“Today marks a new chapter of advocacy, collaboration, supply chain optimisation, and progress in our industry.
“Our association is at the forefront of shaping the future of offshore oil and gas services – not just for our members, but for the entire nation,” NAOGSP founder Knowledge Ipinge said on Saturday.
Central to the association’s vision is a commitment to balancing expatriate expertise with the nurturing of local talent, he said.
Ipinge stressed the importance of expatriate quotas as a means to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce.
“While we value the knowledge brought by our international colleagues, our focus is on empowering local communities through quality training, scholarships, and apprenticeships,” he said.
By establishing local manufacturing related to the offshore oil and gas industry, NAOGSP aims to drive economic diversification, increase sector value, and create a ripple effect of employment opportunities across related industries like engineering, fabrication, and maintenance services.
“As the founding board, we must work hand-in-hand to create an ecosystem thriving on local talent, nurturing our communities, and contributing to the socio-economic well-being of our nation,” Ipinge said.
The association’s core objectives include advocating beneficial policies and regulations, providing networking platforms, and offering access to specialist expertise.
Last week The Namibian covered an article by Cons Karamata, the chief executive of the Economic Association of Namibia, in which he said the potential discoveries of about 11 billion barrels of oil and 2,2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves could drive economic and social transformation in Namibia.
“At the same time, it is self-evident that for this potential to translate into sustained and inclusive economic development, a concerted effort is required to ensure that Namibia retains sufficient value in the domestic economy for this emerging sector to become a catalyst for growth,” he said.
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