Africa is one of EPSE’s key areas due to its potential. EPSE has reliable partners and several projects underway in South Africa, but now it is time to turn our attention to South Africa’s neighbor, Namibia, where EPSE’s CEO Jouni Jääskeläinen is visiting this week for Mining Expo Namibia. In addition to the trade fair, Jääskeläinen will visit a university and mines, among other places. He is not traveling alone but is accompanied by Namibia’s Honorary Consul Timo Palander at meetings and mine visits. But what is a Honorary Consul?
Timo Palander, Namibian Honorary Consult in Pirkanmaa
According to the Consular Corps website (1), “Consular Corps includes all Honorary Consuls representing foreign countries in Finland. Honorary Consuls are official representatives of their countries and work with various task related to the countries they represent. All Honorary Consuls work as part-time.” The consul’s job is not to manage political relations, but to focus on practical matters and helping citizens, and they operate ‘pro-bono’. Palander was appointed to his position by the President of Namibia in 2012, and his role is to promote Namibian affairs in Finland and Tampere. Finland, Pirkanmaa, and Tampere have long-standing relations with Namibia, and many people remember Finland’s support for Namibia’s independence in the second half of the 20th century, when Martti Ahtisaari was a UN representative negotiating peace in the country. There has also been university cooperation in Tampere for a long time. In the 1980s, Namibians were trained as water engineers in Hervanta, and according to Palander, water has always been at the center of educational cooperation. Palander himself first moved to Namibia in 1991, sent by the Tampere Chamber of Commerce, Pirkanmaa entrepreneurs, and the church. He acted as a kind of missionary for business and established a chamber of commerce and development programs for small businesses in the country.
Finnpartnership as a facilitator of cooperation
Today, the consulate is in Lempäälä. Palander has recently been involved in, among other things, the establishment of an aviation competence center, the strengthening of the mineral sector’s capacity over a period of more than ten years, digitalization projects in education, and the implementation of various projects between universities and companies. According to Palander, cooperation with the Finnpartnership program is important, and Finnpartnership is involved in establishing a Southern Africa Cooperation Institute in Finland to promote trade and science. Finland has 17 cultural and scientific institutes around the world, one of which is in Africa. Finnpartnership’s business partnership program, financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and managed by Finnfund, is the most important instrument and support organization for promoting long-term cooperation between Finnish companies in Africa.
Significant opportunities
Namibia has a severe water shortage, and the country’s exports rely heavily on the mining industry. Namibia is one of the world’s largest producers of uranium (11% of global production in 2025, (2)), and the country’s mining industry also produces diamonds, gold, zinc, and lead, among other goods. However, legislation in this area is still inadequate, and water-related legislation is divided between three ministries: the Ministry of Water, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Mines. According to locals, coordination between the different administrations still needs to be improved. Industrial water recycling is also still in its infancy, and solutions to the water shortage are urgently needed. EPSE can provide mines in the region with solutions that will have a rapid impact, but it can also engage in educational cooperation with local educational institutions if there is sufficient will to do so. On Tuesday, August 5, Jääskeläinen and Palander visited the Namibia University of Science and Technology to discuss the needs and opportunities in the field.
In the photo, Jääskeläinen and Palander with Dean (Executive Dean Prof) Harmony Musiyarira, in Namibia University of Science and Technology.
This article was written by
Anni Honkonen
EHSQ Manager
anni.honkonen(a)epse.fi
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References:
(1) Honorary Consults in Finland. (n.d.) Referred 6.8.2025. Available online: https://honoraryconsulates.fi/tervetuloa/
(2) World Uranium Mining Production (16.5.2025). Referred 5.8.2025. Available online: https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/mining-of-uranium/world-uranium-mining-production