For many young people, the discovery of oil comes with two very different feelings: excitement and worry.
There is excitement because oil could bring jobs, new businesses and much-needed investment.
But there is also a simple question that many young people are asking: where will we fit into all of this?
Namibia has been talking about the promise of oil for years.
We have heard about billions of dollars in investment, major discoveries and the possibility of transforming the economy.
But for a young person struggling to find a job, pay rent or start a small business, the size of an oil discovery means very little unless it translates into something tangible.
There is a real danger that Namibia could develop an impressive oil industry while many Namibians remain spectators.
International companies have the capital, technology and experience.
That is understandable.
But if Namibia does not deliberately build its own skills and businesses, we could end up importing much of the expertise while our young people wait for opportunities that never come.
Young Namibians must be prepared for the industry long before the first major barrels are produced.
Training must be linked to the jobs that will actually exist.
Universities, vocational training centres and other institutions must prepare young people for careers in engineering, geology, environmental management, marine services, logistics, finance, law and other areas connected to oil and gas.
A young Namibian should also be able to start a company and compete for work created by the industry.
Whether it is supplying equipment, providing transport, catering, accommodation, construction, technology or environmental services, local businesses must have a genuine chance to participate.
This means government must make local content more than a policy document.
It must be something that can be seen in the lives of ordinary Namibians.
Oil revenues must not simply disappear into government budgets without ordinary citizens understanding how they are being used. Namibians deserve transparency and accountability.
If this resource is truly a national opportunity, its benefits must be visible in better education, infrastructure, healthcare, skills development and economic opportunities.
Young people should not have to watch Namibia’s oil industry grow from behind a fence.
They should be the engineers, entrepreneurs, technicians, lawyers, managers and business owners helping to build it.
Namibia has been given an opportunity that many countries would envy.
But oil itself will not change the lives of Namibians. How we manage it will.
And if we get it wrong, the next generation will not ask why Namibia discovered oil.
They will ask why, despite discovering it, we failed to make it work for them.
