Oil and Gas:From Local Content to Indigenous Participation

Namibia’s emerging oil and gas industry presents an opportunity that extends far beyond the production of hydrocarbons.

The bigger question is not simply how much oil Namibia will produce, but how much economic value the country will retain and how deeply Namibians will participate in creating, owning, financing and controlling that value.

As Namibia moves closer to potential oil and gas development, the distinction between local content and indigenous participation is becoming increasingly important.

The two concepts are closely related, but they are not the same. Local content focuses primarily on increasing the participation of Namibian citizens and businesses through employment, procurement, skills development, technology transfer, local manufacturing and the provision of goods and services.

Indigenous participation goes further by asking who owns, finances, controls and ultimately benefits from the economic activity generated by the industry.