Former Minister of Mines and Energy, who is also the Founder and
Chairman of Alvenco Advisory, Hon. Tom Alweendo, has presented an impactful
public lecture at IUM on 4 September 2025, entitled: Navigating the Storm: How
Small Economies like Namibia can Survive and Thrive amid Geopolitical Shifts.
The public lecture offered insights on how Namibia as a developing country can
navigate the socio-economic and political storms that are currently prevailing
on the global stage.
The lecture by Hon. Tom Alweendo argues that the new global reality is
that the world is fractured. Therefore, survival and success in a fractured
world should depend more on clarity of purpose, willingness and coordination to
navigate the geo-political tensions and thrive the economy. He emphasised that
for successful survival, it is imperative that Namibia understand the
structural vulnerabilities facing small economies, and that it should guard
religiously its strategic resources so that they do not get embroiled in the
crossfire with bigger economies.
The public lecture outlined strategic imperatives that Namibia could
capitalise on for its economic advancement, including principled leadership and
pragmatic diplomacy, diversifying the economy, human capital development and
innovation. In conclusion, Hon. Tom Alweendo emphasised the need for right
characters in leadership positions, and having the courage to believe in our
own potential and capabilities in driving our economies.