KIRYANDONGO– Uganda National Oil Company [ UNOC ] and Stanbic bank Uganda are partnering to establish an incubator to support farmers in producing foodstuffs that conform to the standards of the oil and gas sector.
“We will also commission a study to understand how communities within the Albertine Graben can be effectively supported to participate in the oil and gas value chain through the indirect and induced value chains,” said Proscovia Nabbanja, the UNOC chief executive officer whose speech was read by her junior Micahel Mugerwa.
Nbbanja adisclosed the development last during the launch of a scholarship programme for welders and UNOC Go Green campaign at Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba [UPIK] in Kiryandongo district.
“We believe that our interventions will go a long way to alleviate poverty in the region and support the communities to have economic activities that will tap into the incomes and earnings from oil and gas sector by the employees and contractors,” Nabbanja was quoted as saying.
She also noted that they have supported suppliers in the region to register on the National Supplier Database [NSD], adding that they will be holding a supplier workshop at Hoima Resort on June 21, 2022, to further support the community suppliers to participate in the oil and gas sector.
In March, UNOC and Petroleum Authority of Uganda [PAU] teamed up to mobilise and register individuals and companies in Bunyoro on NSD and National Oil and Gas Talent Register [NOGTR].
This will help individuals and companies interested in taking up opportunities in the oil and gas sector. It is a requirement that individuals and companies register in order to participate in the oil and gas.
About the scholarship
Nabbanja said that the partners have established a scholarship programme in a bid to develop local expertise in the oil and gas.
“UNOC in collaboration with UPIK, sponsored 25 youth from Albertine Graben and the pipeline districts to develop their career in welding for the International Vocational Qualification welding (IVQ) fabrication and pipework foundation and proficiency level,” explained Nabbanja.
She added that this is in line with the 2nd and 7th pillars of the UNOC Nation content strategy of National skills development and community content development where UNOC is proactively supporting the communities within the Albertine Graben and the pipeline districts with skills to empower them to acquire skills to be recruited during the project development phase and which skills are also needed in other sectors of the community.
The 25 beneficiaries were drawn from 16 districts of Masindi, Nwoya, Kiryandongo, Bilisa, Kibaale, Kagadi, Hoima, Kikuube, Kaakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gonna, Sembabule, Lwengo, Rakai, and Kyotera.
The students who have now spent a month at UPIK are holders of O’ level certificate or its equivalent or holders of National Vocational and Technical Crafts Certificate in welding and metal fabrication or have at least two years of practice/ experience in welding and metal fabrication.
Female candidates were encouraged to apply and we are happy to report that 30 percent of the scholarship beneficiaries are females. UNOC will be training more students and also support those students that have passed this level of certification to be sponsored to attain the next level,” Nabbanja said.
Bonny Frank, the students’ representative said that they are being taken through metal fabrication, pipework, and welding, noting that they want to be helped to become specialists. “We request you to help us specialise in these areas to get special skills,” he appealed.
Brian Kabalega Ochaki, from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, implored the trainees to work hard.
“We are going to have 160,000 jobs in the sector and 94 percent will be for craftsmen, technicians and tradesmen. Make sure that you use this opportunity to master skills,” he advised.
UNOC Go Green campaign
UNOC also carried out a tree planting initiative around the institute in response to the sustainable development goal 16 of protecting the environment.
“The UNOC Go green campaign is an initiative to create awareness of the environmental issues to the public and to encourage the public to plant trees not just for beauty or extra shade from the sun, but for them to appreciate more benefits from trees when it comes to the environmental protection and preservation,” Nabajja said.
“We are also committed to taking the sustainability agenda through tree planting and critical initiatives in this regard. I encourage all partners to join this initiative in partnership with UPIK and other stakeholders,” she said.
Bernard Ongodia, the Principal Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba appreciated the partnerships and promised he will do everything necessary to produce skilled workers for the oil and gas sector.
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