Youth in Oil and Gas Summit Calls for Participation, Skills and Local Value
Namibia’s emerging petroleum sector must create measurable opportunities for young people, local businesses and training institutions, rather than developing into a “spectator economy”, Youth in Oil and Gas Summit founder Justina Erastus has said. Speaking at the opening of the third edition of the Summit in Walvis Bay, Erastus said the platform was established to ensure that young Namibians are included early in the country’s energy journey.
Vaultz.connect
By Staff Reporter
Namibia’s emerging petroleum sector must create measurable opportunities for young people, local businesses and training institutions, rather than developing into a “spectator economy”, Youth in Oil and Gas Summit founder Justina Erastus has said.
Speaking at the opening of the third edition of the Summit in Walvis Bay, Erastus said the platform was established to ensure that young Namibians are included early in the country’s energy journey.
“Namibia’s young people must not arrive late to their own national opportunity,” she said, reflecting on the Summit’s growth from an idea into a three-day platform connecting young people with investors, government institutions, financiers and companies shaping the country’s energy future.
Held under the theme “From Discovery to Development: Talent, Capital and Local Content,” the 2026 Summit shifts the conversation from awareness and empowerment towards participation and value creation. Erastus said the platform is deliberately evolving alongside Namibia’s petroleum journey as the industry moves from exploration towards development planning.
She called on international oil companies, operators and service providers to establish internship, apprenticeship, mentorship and supplier-development programmes before skills shortages become an operational challenge.
“Local content must become visible in the number of Namibians trained, businesses onboarded, contracts awarded, technologies transferred and careers created,” Erastus said.
Financial institutions were also urged to support credible Namibian suppliers by providing access to equipment finance, certification funding, working capital and investment in young professionals. Universities and vocational training institutions, meanwhile, were encouraged to align their programmes with industry needs across engineering, marine services, logistics, finance, law, data and occupational health and safety.
Erastus also challenged delegates to use the Summit for meaningful business engagement rather than simply collecting photographs and business cards. She encouraged participants to ask informed questions, visit exhibitors, understand employer requirements and follow up after the event.
“Namibia’s oil and gas future will not be determined only by what lies beneath our seabed,” she said. “It will be determined by what we build above it: capable people, credible institutions, competitive businesses and a generation ready to lead.”
