Markus Shiweda 🌍

Green Hydrogen & Corruption: “Namibia’s current approach to green hydrogen projects is already fraught with significant red flags,” says Graham Hopwood, Executive Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). He said lack of transparency, opaque processes, inadequate community consultation, selective project leaders and political exposed person involvement are some of the red flags within the project. Hopwood argues that government agencies and project managers have refused to release key documents and agreements, raising concerns about the openness of the process. He further stressed that access to finance and land, crucial components of green hydrogen projects, is unclear and raises questions about who controls resources. “Green hydrogen projects can impact local communities significantly, but many have voiced concerns that their input has been neglected,” he said. On selective project leaders, he explained that questions persist over how certain companies and individuals were selected to lead projects, raising fears of favouritism. The other issue he highlighted is the presence of politically influential individuals, or PEPs, and their proxies in company structures and licensing deals is a cause for concern. “If Namibia is to become a global leader in green hydrogen, we must address these issues head-on. There is no better time to learn from the extractive industries sector, which has grappled with corruption challenges for decades,” the executive director said. Report: Hertha Ekandjo