A week after a groundbreaking ceremony attended by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and billionaire Aliko Dangote, the N$41 billion fuel storage terminal planned for Walvis Bay still has no environmental clearance certificate, according to The Namibian.
The ceremony on 70 hectares of Farm 58 land east of Walvis Bay went ahead on 4 November even though the project's environmental impact assessment (EIA) is unfinished. The presidency has not explained how the event could precede the required regulatory process, and questions sent to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism and Dangote Industries on Friday went unanswered.
Where the environmental process stands
Excel Dynamic Solutions (EDS), the independent assessor appointed for the project, confirmed the clearance application is still being processed. EIA project manager Nerson Tjelos said public consultation, held at Walvis Bay in September, is complete and reporting is at an advanced stage.
Public consultation has been held, and the EIA is at an advanced reporting stage. The draft EIA reports will be shared with registered stakeholders for comment next week (9 November).
The final reports will be submitted to the regulator for review within November 2026. We cannot say how long the regulator's review and decision will take - the authorities determine that, Tjelos said.
Dangote Industries Namibia applied under Listed Activity 9 of the Environmental Management Act, which covers the treatment, handling and storage of hazardous substances. Under the act, a clearance certificate can only be issued after a full EIA and an environmental management plan have been evaluated.
A regional fuel hub with a 2 650 km pipeline
The terminal is designed to store at least 1.6 million barrels of petrol and diesel, supplying Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and potentially the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. Africa Briefing reported that the $2.5 billion scheme aims to turn the Atlantic port of Walvis Bay into a major petroleum distribution centre for Southern Africa, giving landlocked neighbours an alternative fuel route.
Environmental reporter John Grobler warned the pipeline may carry greater risks than the storage facility itself, because its route and pumping station locations have not been made public.
The real challenge will be that 2 650 km long pipeline and the pumping stations of at least 65 MW each that will have to be built every 40 km or so to push that fuel from sea level to Windhoek's altitude of 1 600 m, Grobler said. Any leak or breach anywhere along that pipeline therefore holds major risk.
Grobler added that Namibia has limited capacity to respond to large fuel spills, particularly in sensitive areas. The concern is not abstract: an investigation by the Investigation Unit documented how a rogue operator dumped waste oil in the dunes of Dorob National Park and adjacent wetlands near Walvis Bay, forcing the closure of the town's hazardous-waste facility to liquid oil waste.
Politicians question regulatory independence
The sequencing of the ceremony has drawn criticism from opposition politicians and policy analysts, who ask whether presidential backing could pressure the environmental commissioner.
Rodrick Likando, shadow minister for environment and tourism for the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), said his party is concerned the project may create pressure on the commissioner to approve the clearance.
While the president is entitled to promote investment and economic development, environmental regulatory decisions must remain independent of political interests and executive influence, Likando said. The IPC's concern is not opposition to investment. Namibia requires investment, infrastructure, employment opportunities and improved energy security. However, these objectives must be pursued within the framework of Namibia's laws.
Our position is that the Dangote project may be a presidential priority, but it is not above the Environmental Management Act, Likando said. Namibia must be able to attract major investment without compromising environmental protection, institutional independence or the rule of law.
Fredericko Links, a researcher at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said the project appears to enjoy a fast lane from the highest office that bypasses standard procedures.
What we see here is clearly a project that enjoys support from the highest office and is given a special treatment lane. It bypasses standard practices and procedures, which is not how things are supposed to be done, Links said.
Links said all investors should be treated the same, though government should also fix the bureaucratic bottlenecks that genuine investors face and hold accountable any officials responsible for unnecessary delays.
President signals an end to groundbreaking ceremonies
Nandi-Ndaitwah, who placed the Dangote project under her office for close supervision, told a town hall meeting in Swakopmund on Friday that she will no longer attend groundbreaking events.
Never ask me to come for your groundbreaking. I would rather become a site inspector when you start your work, Links quoted her as saying. Then the next is the invitation for me to come give the keys or to switch on the plant. Those are the things I'm going to do. No more groundbreaking.
The remark follows her 2024 officiation of the 500-bed Windhoek District Hospital groundbreaking, which likewise featured no construction company on site and was then at the stage of site clearance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Dangote Walvis Bay project?
It is a planned N$41 billion ($2.5 billion) fuel storage terminal and pipeline complex on Farm 58 east of Walvis Bay, designed to store at least 1.6 million barrels of petrol and diesel for Namibia and its neighbours.
Has the project received environmental clearance?
No. As of 9 November 2026, the environmental clearance certificate application is still being processed, with final EIA reports due to be submitted to the regulator within November 2026.
Which countries would the terminal supply?
Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with potential supply to the southern Democratic Republic of Congo.