Namibia's Prime Minister has appointed a Nuclear Commissioner to coordinate preparations for nuclear energy and put in place a structure to provide high-level policy coordination and strategic oversight.
In an announcement from the Office of the Prime Minister, John Titus, a Director in the Department of Energy in the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, has been named as Namibia's Nuclear Commissioner. As well as coordinating the technical programme of the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation (NEPIO) and heading its Secretariat, Titus's appointment establishes a central focal point for coordinating the country's nuclear energy preparatory work.
"The decision to support a long-term nuclear power programme is a decision to invest in the institutional, technical and human capacity required to prepare Namibia for its future energy needs," Prime Minister Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare said.
Ngurare has also constituted the NEPIO Management Committee to provide "high-level policy coordination and strategic oversight". Made up of executive directors from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, the Ministry of International Relations and Trade, the Ministry of Health and Social Services, and the National Planning Commission, and guided by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the NEPIO Management Committee will assess issues ranging from nuclear safety and security to financing, radioactive waste management, environmental protection, human resource capacity, nuclear power and public engagement.
Namibia holds about 7% of the world's uranium reserves, and has a long history of uranium mining: the Rössing uranium mine has marked 50 years of production this year. The country's 2024 uranium production of 7333 tU made it the world's third largest producer behind Kazakhstan and Canada.
Namibia's domestic electricity production is currently dominated by hydro, and the country relies heavily on imports of electricity, mainly from South Africa.
The Namibian government approved its first Nuclear Industry Strategy in October 2025, and earlier this year a draft nuclear bill - replacing the 2005 Atomic Energy and Radiation Protection Act and establishing a nuclear commission, a nuclear institute and an independent regulatory authority - underwent nationwide public consultation.
"Namibia's substantial uranium resources have strengthened the case for exploring nuclear energy as part of efforts to secure the country's long-term energy needs, promote local mineral beneficiation and value addition, and unlock greater economic value from its natural resources," according to the Office of the Prime Minister.