A new generation of oil and gas talent officially entered the sector this week as EACOP Ltd Academy graduated 141 trainees at the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK), in a milestone aimed at strengthening local expertise for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.
The graduation ceremony held on 7 November 2025 marked the completion of the Academy’s inaugural cohort, launched in August 2024 through a partnership between EACOP Ltd and UPIK to prepare youth for technical roles in the oil and gas value chain.
The trainees received hands on instruction in Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Production, Leadership and Health, Safety & Environment (HSE), aligning their competencies with the industry’s labour demands ahead of large-scale pipeline operations.
A quarter of the graduates were women, underscoring deliberate efforts to widen female participation in an industry historically dominated by men. Eighty per cent of the cohort was drawn from communities living along the planned pipeline corridor, reinforcing commitments to local inclusion.
Addressing the graduates, EACOP Deputy Managing Director JB Habumugisha challenged them to pair technical competence with character, noting that ability alone cannot sustain professional success.
“Today you are standing on the shoulders of giants, but tomorrow, you will be the giants. However, this takes discipline and attitude skills without these are nothing,” he said.
UPIK Director Bernard Ongodia described the partnership as a strategic investment in the institute’s training capacity and a boost to the region’s readiness to support a major energy infrastructure project.
Government officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, as well as industry executives and training staff, attended the ceremony, reflecting the high-level priority placed on building a skilled domestic oil and gas workforce.
The graduation comes at a critical time as Uganda and Tanzania advance pipeline development, with both countries pushing to ensure that job creation, skills transfer and economic participation benefit local communities and outlast the construction phase.
Industry analysts view the cohort as a foundational workforce that could help anchor future national capability in pipeline operations, maintenance and safety systems.