Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
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Organization

Upstream Petroleum Unit

Also known as: UPU · Ustream Petroleum Unit

Upstream Petroleum Unit — regulatory body established under the Office of the President to oversee Namibia's oil and gas sector, amid debate over governance concentration.

Mining & Energy

Opposition warns new oil bill risks concentration of power

The News

Opposition parties have raised concerns that Namibia's new petroleum amendment bill, which would place the Upstream Petroleum Unit under the Office of the President, could lead to unchecked executive power and corruption similar to the Fishrot scandal in the fishing sector. They point to cautionary examples from Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, and Russia, where energy sector governance failures and political manipulation resulted from poor institutional oversight.

6 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 6 February

  1. Opposition warns new oil bill risks concentration of power

    Opposition parties have raised concerns that Namibia's new petroleum amendment bill, which would place the Upstream Petroleum Unit under the Office of the President, could lead to unchecked executive power and corruption similar to the Fishrot scandal in the fishing sector. They point to cautionary examples from Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, and Russia, where energy sector governance failures and political manipulation resulted from poor institutional oversight.

    6 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 5 February

  1. Petroleum Bill requires oil sector officials to declare interests

    Namibia's Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Bill 2025, introduced in Parliament, will require top government officials overseeing the petroleum sector to declare any interests in oil and gas and establish a new Upstream Petroleum Unit under the Office of the President to modernize regulation of the sector. Opposition members including PDM leader McHenry Venaani raised concerns that the Bill concentrates excessive power in the presidency.

    5 February 2026 · Informanté →

Namibia Minute