Namibian parliamentarian Tobie Aupindi has urged African countries to move beyond exporting raw materials and invest in technological development, industrialisation, and skills transfer to ensure greater economic benefits from their natural resources.
Aupindi made the remarks while participating in a high-level panel discussion on nuclear technology in Africa at the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday.
The session, titled ‘Nuclear Technology in Africa: Gaining Momentum for the Future’, was organised in partnership with Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM).
Aupindi, the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources, said African countries should focus on building the capacity to own, operate, and benefit from technologies linked to their natural resources.
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“Africa must move from being a continent that supplies the raw materials of the global technological economy to becoming a continent that owns, operates and benefits from the technologies that will define that economy,” he said.
He said nuclear technology should not only be viewed as a source of electricity but also as an opportunity to advance scientific research, manufacturing, engineering, medical applications and agricultural productivity.
Drawing on Namibia’s position as a uranium-producing country, Aupindi said the country should explore ways of using its mineral resources to support local industrialisation, scientific development, energy security and employment creation.
“The true measure of our mineral wealth must not be only what we extract from the ground, but what we build in our economy because those minerals exist,” he said.
He said Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) identifies nuclear industry development as a strategic focus area, including strengthening the uranium value chain, developing an appropriate governance framework and investigating feasible nuclear projects.
Aupindi said the country should ensure that investments in the nuclear sector translate into skills development and opportunities for local businesses.
He emphasised the need to train more Namibian scientists, engineers, technicians, radiation-protection specialists and other professionals who can participate in the development and management of nuclear technologies.
He said international partnerships should go beyond providing equipment and infrastructure to include knowledge transfer and the development of local expertise.
“The ultimate test of a successful partnership should be whether Namibia becomes more capable of designing, regulating, operating, maintaining and improving relevant technologies over time,” Aupindi said.
On employment, he said nuclear industrial development could create opportunities in engineering, construction, equipment manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, research and technical services.
However, he cautioned that these benefits would require deliberate investment in local suppliers, training programmes and mechanisms to increase the participation of Namibian companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
Addressing Namibia’s energy needs, Aupindi said nuclear power, including small modular reactors, could be considered as part of the country’s long-term energy strategy.
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He said such decisions should, however, be informed by assessments of commercial viability, financing, electricity demand, safety, environmental protection, water requirements and radioactive waste management, adding that nuclear energy should be assessed alongside renewable energy and other available options to ensure decisions are guided by national development priorities.
Aupindi also called for strategic partnerships with international institutions, including ROSATOM, saying cooperation should deliver investment, technical training, research opportunities and local industrial development.
“A strategic partnership is not measured simply by the size of the initial investment. It is measured by the productive capabilities it creates, the risks it manages, the value it retains locally and the opportunities it leaves behind,” he said.