Botswana is looking beyond its traditional reliance on diamonds and positioning the energy sector as a new frontier for job creation, skills development and entrepreneurship following the launch of the Botswana Youth, Women and Citizen Oil and Gas Programme.
Launching the initiative on Monday, Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs Lesego Chombo said the programme is part of a broader effort to prepare citizens for emerging industries and ensure that economic opportunities are accessible to young people, women and citizen-owned businesses.
Chombo said Botswana’s economic future cannot depend solely on the industries that have sustained the country for the past six decades, stressing that diversification has become both an economic necessity and a social imperative. She described the programme as a national mission aimed at empowering citizens to participate meaningfully in the country’s growing energy sector through skills development, innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Our responsibility is to create pathways for citizens to participate in industries that will define the future,” Chombo said, adding that government wants young people and women to move from being consumers of economic activity to becoming producers of economic value.
The programme comes against the backdrop of high youth unemployment. Presidential Youth Empowerment Campaign National Coordinator Maipelo Sealetsa said Botswana faces a youth unemployment crisis, with 41.3 percent of young people not in employment, education or training. She said the initiative forms part of a wider strategy to connect young people with sectors that can generate jobs at scale.
According to organisers, the programme will expose participants to opportunities across the oil and gas value chain, including logistics, transportation, safety management, infrastructure support, maintenance services and entrepreneurship. More than 1,000 participants from all 61 constituencies are expected to benefit from the training.
Baisago University Managing Director Odirile Gabasiane said the initiative represents a shift from discussions to practical action. He noted that today’s labour market demands innovation, entrepreneurship and industry-specific skills, arguing that partnerships between government, academia and the private sector are essential in addressing unemployment.
Seth Resources Chief Executive Officer Brian Mmusi said the programme seeks to bridge the gap between ambition and access by providing skills development, mentorship, enterprise incubation and investment readiness support. He said the energy sector presents significant opportunities for citizen participation and economic empowerment, particularly in downstream activities such as logistics, procurement and supply.
Botswana Oil Community Engagement and Economic Participation Specialist Leungo Letshwiti echoed the need for greater citizen involvement in the energy sector, saying Batswana have largely remained spectators in an industry that has long existed in the country. She urged young people and women to pursue meaningful participation and ownership opportunities within the sector.
