Namibia’s bid for US$250 million (about N$4 billion) in climate funding is raising urgent calls from ||Kharas leaders to ensure green hydrogen projects deliver real jobs and opportunities for local young people.
||Kharas Regional Council chairperson Gerrit Witbooi says the regional leadership wants to see developmental projects under the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) translating into tangible opportunities in employment, skills development, enterprise creation and visible improvement in people’s livelihoods.
Witbooi said this during a stakeholders consultation with the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme at Lüderitz last Tuesday.
The event was aimed at gathering input on Namibia’s 2026 Climate Investment Fund Plan submission.
The plan aims to unlock up to N$4 billion in concessional funding to support the country’s green industry ambitions.
“This gathering is important for us to make sure unemployed young peopled in the region benefit from upcoming green hydrogen development projects.
It is particularly important for towns such as Lüderitz, Aus and surrounding communities, where unemployment among young people remains a serious concern,” Witbooi said.
||Kharas governor Dawid Gertze welcomed the Namibia CIF plan, saying it is a critical component in taking the development of the green hydrogen industry from just plans on paper to real projects that would involve and benefit local communities.
He urged the leadership of the green hydrogen programme to consult local communities on their needs and priorities.
“We want development that protects the environment, respects cultural heritage, creates opportunities for local people, and leaves behind lasting value in the region,” Gertze said.
He expressed gratitude for investments made in training and upskilling young Namibians for this sector, with support from the government and partners like the German government.
Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme spokesperson Jona Musheko says stakeholder engagements on the CIF is aimed at gaining input from communities by providing recommendations and identifying priority areas to ensure green hydrogen investments contribute to local economic development, job creation and community benefits within the region.
Namibia is preparing to submit its Sectoral Transformation Investment Plan to the CIF Industry Decarbonisation Programme by October.
Musheko says this programme provides Namibia with access to up to N$4 billion in concessional financing to support low-carbon industrial development, strengthen industrial infrastructure, and accelerate economic diversification in line with the objectives of the sixth National Development Plan.
“Following the June announcement, the government launched the call for project proposals aligned with the CIF Industry Decarbonisation Programme in September 2025, and 148 proposals were received before the closing date in February.
“These workshops serve as a critical platform for aligning project developers, international financial institutions, and government stakeholders on the next steps toward investment readiness,” he says.
Musheko says the engagements further help strengthen Namibia’s pipeline of bankable green industrial projects, ranging from mineral beneficiation and low-carbon manufacturing to clean energy infrastructure and hydrogen-based value chains, positioning the country to translate policy ambitions into tangible industrial investments.
