The Deputy Managing Director for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), John Habumugisha, has urged Ugandan youth to prepare for the increasing opportunities in the oil and gas sector, as the country anticipates its first barrel of oil in 2026.
He made the remarks during the 6th Annual National Content Conference held at Mestil Hotel- Nsambya, where stakeholders convened to discuss how Uganda can build a strong legacy of empowered nationals and enterprises in the country’s oil era.
Habumugisha noted that Uganda’s oil journey is transitioning from the construction phase to operationalization, creating a new wave of opportunities that the youth must position themselves to exploit.
“Opportunities are coming for those who are prepared. We are shifting from construction to commissioning and operations. Recruitments will continue, and we need commissioning and operational experts. These opportunities are available and accessible; take them and reap the benefits the oil and gas sector presents,” he said.
He highlighted several EACOP project achievements, including 74% completion of construction, employing 2900 Ugandans, selection of 141 students for training as panel operators, field operators, mechanical technicians, among other competences, provision of 111 internship opportunities, and many others, milestones that he said demonstrate Uganda’s growing readiness for oil production.
State Minister for Energy, Okaasai Opolot, echoed the call for Ugandans to prepare for the emerging opportunities as the project shifts to the operational phase. He revealed that 5,000 Ugandan enterprises have already benefited through supplier development programs, capacity-building initiatives, and business linkages. He added that the petroleum project is expected to run for over 25 years, with an estimated annual operating expenditure of more than US$8 billion, presenting significant long-term opportunities for local participation. Okaasai urged training institutions to modernize and align their programmes with the evolving demands of the oil and gas sector.
“Uganda will need internationally certified technicians, instrumentation specialists, control room operators, pipeline inspectors, digital engineers, geoscience experts, and environmental scientists. Our training institutions must evolve; our skills ecosystem must become more agile, industry-driven, and technology-focused,” he said.
Uganda expects to extract its first oil next year, 2026, which will be transported through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) from Kabaale in Hoima District to the Chongolean Peninsula near Tanga Port in Tanzania, with a planned capacity of about 246,000 barrels per day.
