Staff Writer
Businessman Knowledge Katti has called on Parliament and national leaders to support the establishment of the Upstream Petroleum Unit (UPU) and the Petroleum Amendment Bill, saying the reforms are needed to help Namibia move from oil exploration to production.
In a memorandum addressed to parliamentarians and national leaders, Katti said the creation of the UPU in the office of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was meant to address long-standing governance and operational problems in the petroleum sector.
Katti said the President inherited a sector facing major challenges, including a national oil company struggling financially and institutionally, declining investor confidence and an overstretched Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy managing both mining and petroleum portfolios.
“The establishment of a dedicated, high-level unit to focus the nation’s attention on the petroleum sector is not an act of overreach. It is an act of presidential responsibility,” he said.
Katti said the UPU would help improve oversight and support efforts to rebuild the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) into a stronger participant in future oil developments.
He said Namcor still has capable young professionals but requires institutional reform and stronger leadership to prepare for the country’s expected oil production phase.
Katti also said the UPU would help strengthen the training and development of Namibian professionals in the sector.
Namibia’s recent offshore discoveries, including Venus-1, Graff-1 and Mopane, have increased international interest in the country’s oil and gas industry.
Katti warned that Namibia could lose momentum if regulatory reforms and government decision-making processes continue to face delays.
He said investors have raised concerns about slow approvals, weak coordination and delays in government responses after major discoveries.
“The challenge was structural, and it was at the leadership level,” Katti said.
He added that the rapid growth of the petroleum sector had outpaced the country’s current institutional framework.
Katti argued that presidential oversight would improve coordination and accountability across ministries and state-owned companies while helping Namibia follow models used in countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria during key periods of oil sector development.
He also defended the appointment of Kornelia Shilunga as head of the UPU, saying she played an important role in promoting Namibia’s oil and gas sector internationally during her time as deputy minister of mines and energy.
Katti said former Chevron Namibia executive Carlo McLeod also brings technical and commercial expertise to the unit.
On the Petroleum Amendment Bill currently before Parliament, Katti said the legislation would improve oversight through annual reporting requirements on petroleum sector performance and royalty remissions.
“Parliament’s role in Namibia’s oil future is not diminished by the establishment of the UPU. It is enhanced,” he said.
Katti warned that Namibia faces competition from countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, which are also seeking international energy investment.
He said long debates over institutional arrangements could distract the country from more urgent priorities, including workforce development, local content implementation, environmental readiness and the delayed development of the Kudu gas project.
Katti urged Parliament to support the Petroleum Amendment Bill while strengthening accountability measures within the legislation.
“A Namibia that reaches its first oil. Namibia, whose people are trained and ready. A Namibia whose wealth belongs to all its citizens. That is the goal,” he said.
