Namibia Oil and Gas Conference 2026 Expands Programme to Drive Inclusive Growth Local Participation and Industry Collaboration

The 4th edition of the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOGC) will return to Windhoek from 18–20 August 2026 with an expanded event programme focused on strengthening collaboration, showcasing local opportunity and supporting Namibia’s rapidly evolving energy sector.

Hosted by the Economic Association of Namibia (EAN), in partnership with the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), with strategic partners National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), SNC Incorporated and Rhino Resources the conference is officially endorsed by Namibia’s Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy.

Under the guiding ethos of “From Decision to Dividend: Making Namibia's Oil Work for Namibians, the conference continues to position itself as more than an industry gathering — serving as a national platform for inclusion, partnership, knowledge sharing and sustainable economic development as Namibia shapes its energy future.

This year’s edition will feature a further expanded exhibition from that in 2025, to meet growing demand and an enhanced networking programme, including a new pre-event golf tournament on 17 August designed to foster collaboration across the sector. A series of pre-conference masterclasses and engagement sessions on 18th August will focus on local participation, entrepreneurship and workforce development. Highlights include interactive local content panel discussions exploring how to maximise Namibian participation, alongside Local Content Pitching Sessions hosted by NIPDB, which will showcase innovative Namibian businesses and entrepreneurs ready to participate in the oil and gas value chain.

The pre-conference programme will also include a speed networking session and a dedicated Future Generations session aimed at empowering Namibian youth through skills development, mentorship and industry engagement.

The main strategic and technical conference programmes, taking place from 19–20 August, will feature keynote addresses from government, industry and sector leaders, followed by two days of discussions on Namibia’s evolving energy landscape, with day one centred on the theme: ‘Industry in Action: Operators, Independents and Finance’ – a focus on project development, investment opportunities and upstream collaboration. Day two will explore ‘SMEs, Finance, Servicing and Critical Infrastructure to Develop a Sustainable Energy Mix’, with discussions focused on local business participation, infrastructure development and long-term energy sustainability.

Alongside the strategic programme, the dedicated two-day technical conference will feature presentations from industry leaders, policymakers and researchers covering emerging trends, technological innovation and policy developments. New for 2026, supplier workshops hosted by NIPDB will be integrated across the programme, creating additional opportunities for engagement between operators, suppliers and entrepreneurs. Speaking at the launch, Jason Kasuto, Chairperson of the Economic Association of Namibia and Managing Director of Monasa Advisories and Associates shared the anticipation and revealed the theme for the 4th edition of the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference “The conference will once again provide a platform for strategic discussions. Namibia’s energy future will be shaped through collaboration. It requires partnerships between local and international stakeholders, between established operators and emerging enterprises, and between policymakers and communities. Above all, it requires a shared commitment to ensuring that growth is both sustainable and inclusive. It is therefore my pleasure to officially unveil the theme of the fourth Namibia Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, which is: ‘From decision to dividend: making Namibia’s oil work for Namibians.’ This theme reflects a deliberate shift in focus from our end,” he highlighted.

Kasuto further elaborated on theme and the goal specifically for the youth “This year's conference will be the catalyst for taking real training capacity to where the work will be and to the towns along our coast, so that our young people are equipped, on their own doorstep, with the technical skills this industry demands, rather than travelling only to the capital or watching the jobs go to others. History will ask not how much oil we produced by what we did with it. Did we make this oil work for our people. Together with our operators, our training institutions, and our international partners, we are setting a very bold target. We will not import a workforce, which is very important for the skills it brings, but we will build one here at home. Whether it's in Lüderitz or Walvis Bay, we are going to build it here,” he stated.

Utaara Hoveka, Communications & Public Relations Specialist at National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) shared reflections of the 3rd “The 2025 Namibia Oil and Gas Conference was held in Windhoek under the theme ‘From exploration to action, positioning Namibia as the next frontier.’ The conference brought together government officials, regulators, international oil companies, investors, financiers, service providers, local businesses, academia, and civil society stakeholders to discuss the next phase of Namibia’s rapidly growing petroleum industry. We had 73 exhibition stands and close to 2000 delegates. The conference also explored opportunities to use petroleum development as a catalyst for broader industrial growth, emphasizing that the benefits of the oil and gas sector must be shared across all 120 constituencies of Namibia.

Hoveka further shared key highlights from last year’s conference “There were dedicated sessions on the following topics: procurement opportunities for local companies, supplier development programmes, skills transfer, and workforce development policies that promote local participation without discouraging investment; lessons learned from other oil-producing nations; and technical and industry knowledge sharing. The conference also featured an expanded technical programme, where industry specialists presented updates on exploration activities, offshore development plans, trading technologies, production systems, and environmental management practices,” he added.

Furthermore, Cons Karamata, the CEO of the Economic Association of Namibia spoke on the importance of the theme, ‘From Decision to Dividend: Making Namibia's Oil Work for Namibians’ which “reminds us that the success of this sector cannot be measured solely by discoveries, investment announcements, or production figures. Rather, its success will ultimately be measured by its impact on people's lives. It will be measured by the opportunities created for young Namibians entering the workforce. It will be measured by the growth of local businesses and entrepreneurs. It will be measured by stronger skills, stronger institutions, and stronger communities. It will be measured by the opportunities created for young Namibians entering the workforce, the growth of local businesses, and it would be measured by stronger institutions and stronger communities in our country,” he stated.

NOGC 2026 is expected to bring together close to 2000 delegates from government, operators, investors, service companies, SMEs, entrepreneurs, academics, students and civil society organisations from across Namibia and the international energy community.

Through its continued focus on inclusion, workforce development, local procurement and open dialogue, NOGC 2026 aims to ensure Namibia’s energy growth supports long-term national prosperity and sustainable economic transformation.

For further details on the programme or to book a delegate place, visit

www.namibiaoilandgasconf.com.