Windhoek: President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on oil and gas operators and contractors to treat local content as a strategic business responsibility and not merely a compliance requirement.According to Namibia Press Agency, in a speech read on her behalf by Vice President Lucia Witbooi at the official opening of the fourth Namibia Oil and Gas Conference (NOGC) in Windhoek, Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized that local content must be incorporated into project planning from the outset to ensure meaningful benefits for Namibians from the country's emerging petroleum industry. She highlighted the importance of early identification of procurement opportunities, transparent contracting processes, meaningful training programs, mentorship, and supplier development.Nandi-Ndaitwah warned that waiting until major contracts are already awarded would be too late. She stated that Namibia's approach to local content should be ambitious but commercially intelligent, ensuring that local participation does not compromise s afety, quality, efficiency, or international competitiveness.The president also urged Namibian entrepreneurs, professional institutions, and young people to prepare themselves to participate in the petroleum industry, noting that opportunities will not be automatic. She encouraged businesses to invest in quality, certification, financial discipline, project management, health and safety, environmental performance, and technical competence.She pointed out that while the government can create access and a policy framework, competitiveness must ultimately be built by the market participants themselves. The government's National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy is aimed at building Namibian capabilities, maximizing employment and development of Namibians, and promoting Namibian ownership and financing across the value chain.Nandi-Ndaitwah further called for stronger partnerships between government, investors, educational institutions, local authorities, and Namibian businesses to develop the country' s oil and gas ecosystem. The fourth NOGC is taking place under the theme 'From Decision to Dividend: Making Namibia's Oil Work for Namibians.'