Nasan eyes new fuel markets, more jobs

Loide Jason

Nasan Energy Managing Director Jean-Blaise Olomo, during an interview with journalists after the closed-door meeting with the President yesterday, said the company was exploring new business opportunities in the downstream petroleum sector, particularly supplying fuel to mining companies, transport businesses and vessels operating in the country’s waters.

“We are in the retail business, but there are a lot of activities where Nasan is not there yet. We have not entered the business-to-business market or marine bunkering. These are businesses that we are starting to look at,” he said.

He explained that the company wants to move into bulk fuel supply to serve commercial customers who require larger quantities of fuel for their operations.

The expansion could open new business opportunities for the company while creating jobs for Namibians, particularly in areas where its service stations are located.

Olomo said Nasan was currently focusing on strengthening its existing operations by improving service stations that were acquired but were not performing at the expected level.

“We have service stations that we bought that are not really performing the way we want them to perform. We are currently talking with our partners to see how we can upgrade those service stations and add new offerings,” he said.

He added that improving the facilities and introducing additional services would increase employment opportunities for people living in surrounding communities.

The company also plans to expand its retail shops in remote areas, where it believes improved facilities and additional services could benefit communities.

According to Olomo, Nasan’s operations currently support more than 2 000 employees across its network.

However, the company says its growth is being affected by challenges relating to logistics and the security of fuel supply.

“Now we are operating more than 42 service stations, so the main challenge that we have is logistics and security of supply,” he said.

Olomo said the company was seeking stronger partnerships with government to help address these challenges and support its expansion plans.

He stressed that cooperation between the public and private sectors was important for the growth of the business, adding that Nasan’s operations and future plans depended on a supportive business environment.

“We are looking for public-private partnerships to push the development of Nasan,” he said.

**Welcome **

During the meeting, President Nandi-Ndaitwah welcomed the delegation, particularly the Namibian-born businesspeople behind the company, saying the country needed citizens who were willing to invest and contribute to national development.

The President said she was encouraged to see young Namibians taking an active role in building businesses and creating opportunities in the country.

“I keep saying that a country can only be developed by its citizens, and a continent can also only be developed by its citizens,” she said.

She emphasised that Namibia’s development should also contribute to the growth of the African continent, saying African countries needed to strengthen their economies to have a stronger voice in global trade.

“If we can strengthen ourselves locally, then we are building the whole of Africa to be strong and to have a voice which no one can ignore,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said she was pleased to see Namibians who had gained experience and education abroad returning home to contribute to the country’s development.

Nasan co-founder and executive director Sean Tobias told the meeting that he was born and raised in Namibia before pursuing his education abroad. He said his academic background was in economics and politics, with a focus on energy economics.

The company said its business plans were aligned with the country’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), particularly in areas of employment creation, economic growth and improved livelihoods.

**Negative publicity **

Meanwhile, Olomo also responded to concerns and negative publicity surrounding the company’s acquisition of the 42 service stations.

He dismissed claims questioning the company’s financial capacity and independence, saying the reports did not reflect the reality of its operations.

“Things were always kind of good for Nasan. It was bad publicity, which we believe was not absolutely legitimate,” he said.

He also denied claims that the company was linked to fuel trading company Validos, saying Nasan had not purchased fuel from the company.

“We have nothing to do with Validos. We have never bought any fuel from Validos. We have been buying from Puma and Total,” he said.

Olomo said the company follows the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy’s petroleum import coordination arrangements when sourcing fuel.

He maintained that Nasan was operating within the country’s laws and remained committed to growing its presence in Namibia.

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