The President’s remarks at the launch of the Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline Project deserve support, not only because of the scale of the investment, but because they address one of the biggest obstacles standing between Namibia and meaningful economic transformation: the slow pace of government bureaucracy.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s description of the N$42.6 billion investment as the most memorable day of her presidency reflects the significance of what Namibia stands to gain.
This is not an ordinary investment.
It is a major infrastructure undertaking with the potential to reshape the country’s energy landscape, strengthen regional trade and position Walvis Bay as an important petroleum distribution gateway for Southern Africa.
We particularly support the President’s decision to take personal responsibility for ensuring that the project does not become another lost investment because of administrative delays.
Her revelation that she had to personally intervene when the investor became frustrated with bureaucratic processes should serve as a wake-up call across government institutions.
Namibia cannot continue to speak about attracting foreign direct investment, creating employment and fighting poverty while allowing cumbersome administrative procedures to frustrate investors who are willing to commit billions of dollars to the country’s development.
Investment opportunities are not unlimited, and investors have choices.
When a country fails to create an enabling environment, capital, jobs and economic opportunities inevitably move elsewhere.
The President’s statement that Namibia is too small a population to be poor also deserves serious reflection.
With a population of approximately three million people and considerable natural resources, Namibia should be doing much more to translate its potential into prosperity for its citizens.
That requires urgency, accountability and a government machinery that understands that delays have real economic and social consequences.
The Dangote investment offers benefits beyond petroleum storage.
The planned 600-million-litre facility and proposed regional pipeline network could strengthen fuel security, reduce logistical costs and create opportunities in transportation, construction, warehousing and other supporting industries.
Its regional reach could also generate economic activity that extends beyond Namibia’s borders.
However, the real measure of this investment must be what it delivers to ordinary Namibians.
Employment, skills transfer, local procurement and meaningful participation by Namibian businesses must remain central to its implementation.
Local companies should be prepared to position themselves to benefit from the opportunities that such a development creates.
We also welcome the President’s insistence that the project will remain under her direct oversight until completion.
Presidential oversight should not replace institutional responsibility, but it can provide the necessary coordination and political commitment to ensure that government departments deliver on their mandates.
Ultimately, Namibia needs more than groundbreaking ceremonies and impressive investment announcements.
It needs completed projects, functioning infrastructure and opportunities that improve people’s lives.
The President has made her position clear.
The country has spoken, and now it must act.
Government institutions must match her urgency, and investors must honour their commitments.
Namibia cannot afford to lose another opportunity to bureaucracy.
This investment is too significant, its potential too great and the economic needs of our people too urgent for business as usual.
