President of Namibia, Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has hailed the launch of Dangote Industries Limited’s $2.5 billion petroleum storage and regional pipeline investment as a historic milestone in Africa’s industrialisation, describing the occasion as the most memorable day of her presidency.
Speaking at the official launch in Walvis Bay on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah commended President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, for demonstrating confidence in Africa’s economic potential through large-scale investments designed to strengthen energy security, accelerate industrial development and deepen regional economic integration.
‘Today, this is the most memorable day of my presidency,’ she declared, describing Dangote as a son of African soil whose investment demonstrated the growing capacity of African entrepreneurs to drive the continent’s transformation.
The President disclosed that she had placed the project under the coordination of the Office of the President to ensure effective collaboration among government institutions and timely implementation, drawing lessons from previous investment opportunities lost to prolonged administrative delays. She said her administration was committed to creating a more responsive investment environment, particularly for strategic projects capable of generating employment, strengthening infrastructure and stimulating economic growth. The investment comprises a proposed 600-million-litre petroleum storage facility and an approximately 1,700-kilometre regional pipeline network intended to position Namibia as a strategic energy distribution gateway for Southern Africa.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the project aligned with Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan and its priorities in infrastructure, logistics, energy security, industrialisation and employment creation. She described the investment as a practical demonstration of African economic integration, consistent with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
‘The African people cannot continue to live in poverty when our continent is so richly endowed with natural resources,’ she said.
The President urged Namibian businesses to develop the technical capacity required to participate in emerging industrial supply chains, disclosing that her administration intended to broaden its local content framework beyond oil and gas to other sectors. She also emphasised skills transfer, saying the project should equip Namibian workers with expertise that would remain valuable beyond construction and enhance their competitiveness internationally.
Addressing the gathering, Dangote disclosed that the $2.5 billion investment would cover petroleum storage, pipeline infrastructure and associated distribution facilities.
He said the proposed tank farm would occupy approximately 70 hectares at Farm 58, about 10 kilometres east of Walvis Bay, with storage capacity for 360 million litres of diesel and 240 million litres of petrol. The planned pipeline will extend from Walvis Bay towards Otjiwarongo, with connections towards Rundu, Ghanzi and Francistown in Botswana. The wider distribution network is intended to serve Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. Dangote explained that the final pipeline alignment and length would be determined through detailed engineering studies, route surveys and regulatory approvals.