The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) and stakeholders in the oil and gas sector have held the third Oil and Gas Expo to discuss transferable skills that ensure sustainable growth in the sector for a wider economy.
The event brought together various stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, including Ernest Rubondo, the Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda; Grace Tusiime, who represented Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development; Augustine Asamor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Victoria University; among other distinguished guests.
While making remarks on Wednesday, May 13th, 2026, at Makerere University, Rubondo emphasized how this year’s expo is timely because it aligns with the current stage of development of Uganda’s oil and gas.
He revealed that Uganda is progressing its commercial oil production, adding that there is a need for deliberate efforts to be made for the knowledge, skills and experience acquired by Ugandans in the sector to be transferred to the wider economy.
“By the end of 2025, direct employment in the sector had grown to 21,000 personnel, beyond direct jobs, the industry generated an estimated 50,000 indirect opportunities through supply chains, subcontracting, transportation, hospitality and other support services linked to petroleum activities,” Rubondo said.
Rubondo added that with all the above skills already in the sector, it’s important to appreciate that skills transfer does not occur automatically because it requires deliberate interventions including certification, structured training and information sharing.
In her speech, Minister Nankabirwa noted that Expo has deliberately focused on workforce readiness for the operations phase, strategic research and innovations, international accreditation and emerging employment opportunities.
Petroleum Authority of Uganda organises oil and gas expos in accordance with Regulation 5 of the Petroleum Exploration, Development, and Production National Content 2016 which mandates the Authority to organise conferences and other educational fora such as seminars, symposia and training to promote national content in Uganda’s oil and gas sector.
However, in the executive’s mandate of regulating and monitoring Uganda’s oil and gas sector, Petroleum Authority of Uganda focuses on five core areas such as petroleum resource management, cost monitoring, petroleum data management, health safety and environment management and national content, which emphasises participation of Ugandans in the sector.
The story was written by: Edrisa Ssentongo, a Member of the Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU)
