The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa has said that Uganda’s identified opportunities in the oil and gas industry will be fully exploited and utilized to reach its potential.
According to Nankabirwa with commitment and provision of comprehensive support, Uganda will have no excuse but to be the best in developing petroleum, oil, and gas.
“We cannot afford to make mistakes other countries have made, Uganda has prepared itself even legally to ensure that we follow the environmental requirements as we explore our oil and gas industry,” Nankabirwa said.
The Minister made these remarks on February 27, 2024 during the launch of the Industry Enhancement Centre (IEC) in Kololo with other stakeholders from Total Energies Uganda and the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) among others.
She noted that, the oil refinery comes with huge opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises, saying that, if not prepared the opportunities will go to those that are prepared.
“Ugandans should be told about these centers so that they can take advantage and utilize it well, Uganda being one of the last born in industries, so we are in a good position to learn from others and receive knowledge through benchmarking,” she added.
Ernest Rubondo the executive Director of PAU, said that the IEC is a strategic initiative that aims at capacity building transfer of knowledge and technology to Ugandan companies.
“I hope this launch will be the beginning of a very valuable partnership that will enhance the capacity of Ugandan enterprises for the benefit of the country and its full participation in the sector.
He added that the mandate of PAU is to regulate and monitor the exploration, development, production, and transport among others.
The IEC is projected to offer Ugandan SMEs sector-specific insights, tailored business advice, training, and capacity-building services to boost their expertise and competencies in their respective industries.
