President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has appointed Kornelia Shilunga and Carlo Lord Muhamed McLeod as Special Advisors in the Presidency, tasked with establishing and managing the newly created Upstream Petroleum Unit.
The appointments, which take immediate effect, are made under Article 32 (3)(i)(hh) of the Namibian Constitution.
Shilunga, the former Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy from 2015 to March 2025, has been named Special Advisor and Head of the Unit.
McLeod, a former official in the Ministry of Mines and Energy and until now Deputy General Manager at Chevron Namibia, has been appointed as Deputy Head.
According to the Presidency, the two officials bring “vast policy and industry experience” and will be responsible for setting up the new unit, reviewing Namibia’s current petroleum regulatory framework, and proposing governance policies for the upstream petroleum sector.
The shift of oversight for the oil and gas sector from the Ministry of Mines and Energy to the Office of the President marks a significant change in Namibia’s resource governance strategy.
The Presidency stated that the move is aimed at “maximising national benefits” from the country’s emerging oil and gas industry.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah express confidence in the respective abilities of Shilunga and McLeod to execute their duties and wish them well in the execution of their assignments.
The country’s oil and gas sector is projected to contribute around N$11.5 billion annually once production begins, with estimates suggesting it could potentially double Namibia’s GDP by 2040.
