WELCOMING SPEECH

BY
PROFESSOR FREDNARD GIDEON
VICE-CHANCELLOR

AT THE
5TH EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN ENERGY, OIL AND GAS SUMMIT (IAEOGS), “IGNITING AFRICA’S ENERGY AND LAND GOVERNANCE FUTURES”

NOVEMBER 3 – 4, 2026 | WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA

• Your Excellencies
• Representatives of institutions involved in the organisation of this Summit:
• The International Energy Summit Ltd.
• The CRG Research and Consulting Ltd.
• The African Energy Academy Ltd,
• The African Peace Magazine Media.
• The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA);
• And NUST’s Institute for Land Livelihood and Housing (ILLH) in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.
• Distinguished guests
• Colleagues from NUST
• Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning,
With happiness, I welcome you to Windhoek, to the “5th Edition of the International African Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (IAEOGS).
The theme of this Summit, “Igniting Africa’s Energy and Land Governance Futures,” reflects Africa’s growing position within the global energy landscape. It also recognises the importance of land governance, planning, capacity development and cross-sector collaborations in ensuring that energy investments contribute to sustainable and inclusive development outcomes.
The word “igniting” in this Summit’s theme reflects that Africa does not lack energy. It does not lack land. It does not lack ingenuity. What it has too often lacked is the governance, finance, and trust to turn these endowments into affordable, reliable power and secure land rights for its people. This Summit exists to close that gap.

More than half a billion Africans lack electricity, while customary land rights remain poorly documented and protected. Energy development without good land governance risks displacement and conflict. Secure rights without electrification leave homes in darkness. These challenges are inseparable. Our university responds by connecting teaching, research, project collaboration, and institutional accountability to Africa’s energy future.
We are delighted to co-host this event in Windhoek. NUST is a critical stakeholder in the knowledge economy that drives Namibia’s energy and natural resources sectors and those across Africa. The Namibian Energy Institute (NEI) at NUST is Namibia’s national hub for sustainable energy research, education, and policy support, serving as a centre for electricity supply, nuclear science, oil & gas, and renewable energy and energy efficiency.
In land and natural resources governance, our institution (through the Department of Land and Spatial Sciences) is the only African University in the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN). Through our recognition as the hub for the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA), also hosted in the Department of Land and Spatial Sciences, NUST is also one of the only seven institutions endorsed by the African Union as a Centre of Excellence on land governance on the continent.
These positions reflect our recognition in education and research on energy, land, and natural resources governance. They also reflect our commitment to engage, support, and promote capacity development in the energy and other natural resources sectors.

Many summits on energy and oil and gas have been held in Namibia this year and in previous years. However, none has focused on land issues. We are happy to have influenced this Summit to bring the land discourse into the energy matter.
So, what should we hope for when this Summit ends? I hope not a glossy communiqué. I expect at least one or two bankable commitments that we can track through a progress dashboard.
Apart from being the co-host, NUST wears many caps at this Summit. It represents both the energy and land governance arms of the Summit. Through Prof. Chigbu’s position as the Chair of the Organising Committee, NUST is also bestowed with the responsibility of ensuring that this Summit runs smoothly. We are also delighted that you have chosen Namibia as your destination for this crucial Summit.
I believe this Summit is an ideal vehicle for all of us to leverage synergies in research and networking for a better future for energy and land governance on the continent. I want to capitalise on this opportunity to call on all partners to strengthen their collaborations, individually and collectively, during this period. Let us expand our existing cooperation towards broader opportunities to contribute collaboratively to Africa’s education, research and investment capacities.
I want to extend a special thank you to International Energy Summit Ltd (Nigeria) and CRG Research and Consulting Ltd (Namibia), who co-financed this Summit. I want to thank the Institute for Land, Livelihood and Housing at NUST for coordinating the network that built the multilateral partnerships that made this Summit a reality.
To everyone here today, your presence signifies the commitment and importance of broader partnerships in building capacity for good energy and land governance in Africa.
I know some of us came all the way to Namibia from various African regions. I am also aware that we have participants from Europe and North America. We also have a participant from China.
For all of you who made these long trips to be here today, I want to say: “Please, feel welcome and at home in Windhoek and take some time to enjoy your stay in our beautiful country, Namibia.”
To begin the official programme of the day, I declare this Summit open.

Thank you.