More than 140 young people in Uganda have graduated from a vocational training programme by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Academy.
The 141 students, a quarter of them women, completed courses in mechanical, electrical, production, instrumentation, leadership, and health and safety skills at the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK) in Masindi district.
At least 80% of the graduates come from communities living along the pipeline route, which will run 1,443km from western Uganda to Tanzania.
The EACOP Academy, launched in August 2024, selected trainees from a larger online course that attracted over 23,000 registrations. Of the graduates, 110 are Tanzanian and 31 are Ugandan.
Speaking at the ceremony, EACOP Deputy Managing Director John Bosco Habumugisha said the graduates would help operate and maintain one of the most ambitious energy projects on the continent.
UPIK Director Bernard Ongodia praised the partnership, saying the programme had “transformed” students’ career prospects.
The $5bn pipeline, backed by French oil giant TotalEnergies, Uganda’s national oil company, Tanzania’s petroleum corporation and China’s CNOOC, has faced criticism from environmental campaigners over its potential impact on protected areas and local communities.
But EACOP says the project will create jobs and boost national development in both countries.
