The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd., together with its Tier One EITS contractor, has awarded scholarships to 16 financially disadvantaged students at Makerere and Kyambogo universities to support them in completing their studies.
The beneficiaries include 10 students pursuing Telecommunications Engineering at Kyambogo University and six studying Computer Science at Makerere University.
The scholarship programme, launched in Uganda as the second initiative of its kind under the EACOP project, is part of efforts by the company and its contractors to support skills development and increase opportunities for young Ugandans in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
EACOP said the beneficiaries were selected through a competitive process that included interviews with shortlisted candidates from the two universities.
The selection considered academic performance, financial need, commitment to the chosen field of study and the candidates’ potential to make a positive contribution to society.
Seven of the 16 beneficiaries are female, highlighting the programme’s focus on increasing women’s participation in STEM disciplines.
The scholarship comes as EACOP and its contractors continue to implement initiatives aimed at developing skills and strengthening national content in Uganda’s oil and gas sector.
EACOP was established to develop, construct and operate the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, which is designed to transport crude oil from Kabaale in Hoima District, Uganda, to the Port of Tanga in Tanzania.
The company says its national content strategy includes sourcing goods and services locally, promoting skills development and facilitating knowledge transfer.
As part of this strategy, EACOP and its contractors have entered into Memoranda of Understanding with several institutions, including the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK), Makerere University, Kyambogo University, Nakawa Technical Vocational College and the Institute of Surveyors of Uganda.
The company said further engagements with strategic institutions are planned as preparations continue for the project’s operations phase.
Beyond scholarships, EACOP and its contractors have supported internship and training programmes. According to the company, 127 interns and graduate trainees have so far participated in its capacity-building initiatives.
The company also said its Train-the-Trainer programme has delivered 808 hours of training to lecturers, technicians and professors from tertiary institutions.
The training is intended to expose educators to emerging technologies and industry practices that can be incorporated into national curricula.
EACOP says the wider skills-development initiatives are intended to leave a lasting contribution to human-capital development alongside the construction and operation of the pipeline.
For the 16 new beneficiaries, the scholarship provides an opportunity to complete their university education while gaining skills in fields considered important to Uganda’s technology and engineering workforce.
