The Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), Nangula Uaandja has urged young people to take advantage of the business opportunities available in various sectors.
Uaandja says the country has a lot to offer in terms of agriculture, mining and energy, oil and gas.
Uaandja interacted with young entrepreneurs and professionals at an event titled "Oxungi."
"You don't need to be in the energy space for you to benefit from Green Hydrogen. If you are a young person and you need to choose a career now, I will say start to go to VTC because a number of people will be required as welders, mechanics, and so forth, so VTC is the place. It's one thing for you to go to university and study for a degree that will make you be in the street or you go to VTC and actually have a qualification that will give you, not only a job opportunity but also the possibility of creating your own business."
Apart from Green Hydrogen, Uaandja says Oil and Gas are other frequently discussed subjects at present, advising parties to look out for new developments in that area.
"What we understand at this stage is that the oil finds in Namibia is huge and that is where Total Energy has dedicated 50% of their global oil exploration budget to Namibia for the year 2023."
The NIPDB CEO encouraged young people to strike while the iron is still hot, something other nationals have already embarked on.
"We are seeing people from Nigeria and Angola, those coming from countries that know oil and gas. They are already moving to Namibia and setting up their companies in Namibia. So you need to find out which services are required in oil and gas so you start getting your Nigerian and Angolan partners and setting up businesses with them because when we have got the laws that require empowerment, at least they will need Namibian partners."
This is the first edition of NIPDB's Oxungi, a platform created specifically to engage the youth on economic matters and to empower them to become catalysts of economic development.