KEY POINTS
- Namibia faces a green hydrogen worker shortage.
- Ignite GH2 project will train 700 young people.
- Nust pushes vocational-to-higher education pathways.
Namibia is racing to secure the workforce needed to build its green hydrogen future, but officials warn the country could face a shortage of as many as 130,000 skilled workers by 2040 if urgent steps are not taken.
Erold Naomab, vice chancellor of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust), raised the concern during the signing of the €2 million Ignite GH2 project with Germany on Friday at the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology in Arandis. The initiative is designed to close the skills gap by aligning vocational training with industry needs and creating pathways into higher education.
Green hydrogen worker shortage threatens growth
“A green hydrogen economy requires more than infrastructure. It requires people who can design, build and sustain it,” Naomab said. He argued that Namibia’s rich solar and wind resources give it a natural advantage in hydrogen production. The sector, if properly developed, could drive new industries, create thousands of jobs, and expand trade. Yet without deliberate planning, he warned, the country risks missing out.
Naomab said the shortage could undercut the ability of young Namibians and women to benefit from new opportunities. He pointed to Nust’s southern campus in Lüderitz, which is being developed as a science and technology park focused on green hydrogen, oil, and gas innovation. The Namibia Energy Institute, meanwhile, is building capacity in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies to serve as the national hub for training and research.
Training programs aim to close the gap
According to All Africa, Ignite GH2 will target trainer development, curriculum updates, and structured career progression from technical training to university-level study. “This project ensures the growth of green hydrogen in Namibia is shared widely, leaving no community behind,” Naomab said.
He added that the initiative supports the government’s second Harambee Prosperity Plan, its sixth National Development Plan, and the Green Hydrogen Strategy, while also advancing Europe’s Global Gateway initiative on clean energy partnerships.
Over the next two years, the program expects to train more than 700 unemployed young people. Naomab said such investments will help attract new partners, encourage applied research, and secure Namibia’s position as a key player in the global green economy.
