President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says Namibia is expanding skills development to prepare its workforce for emerging industries, including green hydrogen and oil and gas.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres wants Africa to retain more value from its natural resources and ensure investment creates jobs on the continent.

The two leaders participated in the fire chat at Unstoppable Africa 2026 in New York, where the role of African resources, jobs and investment was discussed.

Namibia is preparing young people to enter emerging industries as the government expands skills development in the green hydrogen, oil and gas sectors.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah says scholarships have been provided to young Namibians from all 14 regions to build skills needed in the hydrogen industry.

"Skill development is key in our national development plan. Now, that's why when the Hyphen Project was initiated, and knowing that we don't have the necessary skills, a component of skill development was brought in, and a group of young Namibians were identified from all our 14 regions to be given scholarships in order to prepare them to work in the hydrogen industry, which is not necessarily only the Hyphen Project."

The training extends to other green hydrogen initiatives, including the HyIron project in the Erongo Region.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah also applauded the Petrofund, established alongside Namibia's petroleum law in 1992, as being crucial in supporting training in the oil and gas industry.

She told the audience that the Namibian government intends to develop skills that can serve multiple emerging sectors as new projects take shape.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres concurs with Nandi-Ndaitwah, saying that Africa's natural resources must deliver local economic value rather than leaving the continent as raw material suppliers.

"We must ensure that Africa's vast natural resources, particularly critical minerals, create local value and decent jobs rather than simply being shipped overseas. No more plundering. We must unleash the power of youth and of women, who represent over half the business owners on the continent but receive just a tiny fraction of the investment."

The Unstoppable Africa 2026 focuses on private-sector investment across the continent and takes place alongside the 81st United Nations General Assembly.