HOIMA CITY, April 22, 2026 – A total of 300 top-performing students from the district of Hoima, Kikuube, and Hoima City who excelled in the 2025 national examinations have been awarded a combined Shs 73,050,000.
The prize money was provided by China National Offshore Oil Corporation [CNOOC] Uganda, one of the companies involved in oil exploration in the Albertine Graben.
CNOOC is developing the Kingfisher oil field located in Buhuka Parish, Kyangwali Subcounty in Kikuube district, on the shores of Lake Albert. The Kingfisher Field Development Area covers approximately 344 kilometres within the Lake Albert Rift Basin in western Uganda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC].
The funds will benefit learners selected based on results released earlier this year by the Uganda National Examinations Board [UNEB].
The initiative is part of the CNOOC Best Performers Award, introduced in 2013 to promote academic excellence in Hoima, Kikuube and Hoima City.
Speaking at the award ceremony held recently in Hoima City, Mayor Brian Kaboyo commended CNOOC for the initiative but urged the company to redesign the programme to better support vulnerable learners in progressing to higher levels of education.
He noted that although many students have benefited since the programme began, a significant number have not advanced academically due to financial constraints, with many remaining in their villages.
Kaboyo suggested that, instead of one-off awards, the company could support learners to access higher education and complete their studies.
He also acknowledged the positive impact of oil development activities in the region, citing improvements in road infrastructure, job creation, and the construction of Kabalega International Airport.
However, he called on oil and gas companies to further invest in education as a means of preparing local communities for opportunities in the sector.
CNOOC Uganda Vice President Wang Jufeng said the company remains committed to improving education standards and fostering strong relationships with communities in its areas of operation.
He said the Best Performers Award, launched in 2013 to promote education, has so far benefited 1,748 students.
Wang added that the company will continue supporting more learners, noting that academic performance in the region has improved since the initiative began.
He said the programme aligns with CNOOC Uganda Limited’s vision of “Energy for a Better Future” and its mission of talent development through investment in human capital.
“CNOOC Uganda continues to implement a wide range of community investment and corporate social responsibility initiatives,” he said. “These include annual medical camps that have provided free healthcare services to more than 4,000 community members, vocational training programmes targeting youth and women, support to schools and health facilities, and road safety awareness, among others.”
Johnson Kusiima Baigana, Hoima City Principal Education Officer, said the awards would motivate students to work harder, thereby improving academic performance in schools.
However, he urged CNOOC to support local governments in sensitising parents, particularly in rural areas, about the importance of education.
“A large number of pupils enrol in Primary One, but only a few complete Primary Seven,” he noted.
Samuel Mugisa, Social Affairs Officer at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, commended CNOOC for prioritising education, noting that as the country advances its oil and gas sector, there is a need to develop a skilled, knowledgeable and innovative workforce.
https://thecooperator.news/cnooc-enhances-livelihoods-donates-to-health-centres-and-schools/
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