Participants in the training pause for a Kodak moment
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Local suppliers have been urged to embrace joint ventures as a strategic approach to increase their competitiveness in Uganda’s fast-growing oil and gas sector.
According to officials from the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), limited financial and technical capacity continues to hinder local firms from securing contracts in the highly competitive bidding processes.
“Collaborate and form joint ventures with other Ugandan suppliers who possess the required capacity. These can also be joint ventures with non-Ugandan companies that can offer technical expertise and financial support,” said Vivienne Nabbosa, PAU’s National Content Officer in charge of Contracts.
Nabbosa, who was speaking during a supplier development workshop organised by COSL Uganda SMC Limited, a Tier One contractor for both TotalEnergies and CNOOC Uganda, added that Regulation 9(2) of the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Regulations, 2016 encourages local suppliers who may lack either technical or financial capacity to form joint ventures in order to effectively participate in the sector.
“Partnerships are intended to foster knowledge transfer, build local capacity, and ensure maximum Ugandan participation in petroleum activities, in line with the goals of national content promotion under the National Content Regulations,” she further noted.
Held under the theme “Enhancing the Capacity of Community Suppliers to Meet Industry Standards,” the Quarter 2 National Content Development Suppliers Workshop was held in Hoima City and organized in accordance with the National Content regulations set by the PAU.
“As of June 2025, COSL Uganda had awarded contracts valued at over $93.9 million to 67 Ugandan companies, a clear demonstration of our commitment to engaging and empowering local businesses,” said Xia Yu, the General Manager, COSL-Uganda.
He retaliated the company’s commitment to creating opportunities, transferring knowledge, and fostering economic growth by ensuring that Ugandan businesses and professionals actively contribute to and benefit from the oil and gas industry
“We have prioritised knowledge and technology transfer for Ugandan citizens in an effort to build a skilled workforce. To realise this, we have rolled out several initiatives including industry training programs, graduate traineeships, and internships that provide hands-on experience and exposure to real-world operations.
Melidah Mirembe, the National Content Coordinator at TotalEnergies E&P Uganda (TEPU), emphasized the importance of partnerships in enhancing the capacity of local suppliers.
She noted that TEPU is currently implementing the Community Supplier Development Program (CSDP) in the primary project districts of Hoima, Buliisa, Kikuube, Masindi, Pakwach, and Nwoya.
She added that TEPU is conducting trainings in areas such as HSE management systems, integrated management systems, regulatory compliance, and sustainability practices, all of which are designed to support and benefit community suppliers.
A baseline assessment conducted between December 2023 and January 2024 revealed that a significant number of community-based companies lacked formal registration.
The survey, which reached a total of 1,325 community suppliers. The findings, revealed that there is a lot of enthusiasm among local suppliers but they are faced with inadequate capacity.
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