On the 7th of November 2025, a total of 141 students graduated from the EACOP Academy at the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK), marking a major milestone in building local capacity for Uganda and Tanzania’s oil and gas sector.
The EACOP Academy, launched in August 2024, is a flagship vocational training program by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd in partnership with UPIK. It equips young people with practical skills in Mechanical, Electrical, Production, Instrumentation, Leadership, and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) disciplines.
The Academy builds on the success of the EACOP Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), which attracted over 23,000 registrations and 12,000 completions. From this foundation, 110 trainees from Tanzania and 31 from Uganda were selected for intensive hands-on training at UPIK. The curriculum was tailored to address both national development priorities and EACOP’s operational needs, ensuring graduates are industry-ready and aligned with international standards.
Of the graduates, 25% were women, and 80% came from communities along the pipeline route, reflecting EACOP’s commitment to inclusivity and local development.
Speaking at the ceremony, our Deputy Managing Director, JB Habumugisha, congratulated the graduates for their dedication. “Today, you’re standing on the shoulders of giants but tomorrow, you will be the giants. However, it takes discipline and attitude. Skills without these are nothing,” he said.
Mr. Bernard Ongodia, Director of UPIK, praised the partnership for enhancing the institute’s training capacity and transforming students’ career prospects.
The event was graced by members of the EACOP Senior Leadership Team (SLT), officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), and representatives from UPIK’s leadership and training faculty.
