TotalEnergies EP Uganda and SLB have strengthened Uganda’s oil and gas education sector by donating specialized software and computer hardware to three universities; Makerere, Kyambogo, and Nkumba—in a strategic effort to enhance oil and gas training curricula.
The support aims to build institutional capacity and produce graduates with relevant technical skills aligned with the demands of Uganda’s growing oil and gas sector. The initiative aligns with the companies’ commitments to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on quality education, as well as national goals on skilling, capacity building, and support for educational institutions.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Philippe Groueix, General Manager of TotalEnergies EP Uganda, emphasized the long-standing partnership with Ugandan educational institutions.
“Over the years, we’ve prioritized support to institutions such as UPIK, Makerere, and Kyambogo to help develop the capacity to train Ugandans in oil and gas disciplines. Today’s handover enhances that support in line with our commitments to national content development, youth inclusion, and education. So far, over 1,500 Ugandans have been trained in various transferable technical skills, many with international certifications that increase their employability both locally and globally,” Groueix stated.
As part of the initiative, TotalEnergies EP Uganda donated eight computer hardware stations to each institution. Each station includes eight tower servers, 16 monitors, and related peripherals, with a combined value of over USD 200,000 (approximately UGX 770 million). SLB complemented this donation by installing and configuring four specialized software platforms—Petrel, Techlog, Eclipse, and Petromod—on each station.
To ensure optimal use of the tools, SLB will conduct training sessions for university users in July 2025 and has committed to renewing the software licenses annually.
Valerian Pfrimmer, Managing Director for East and South Africa at SLB, underscored the significance of the software: “By donating our four industry-leading platforms—Petrel, Techlog, Eclipse, and Petromod—we are bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world application. These tools span the full exploration and production lifecycle and are essential for practical petroleum geoscience and engineering education, contributing to national development.”
The handover ceremony was attended by institutional representatives including Prof. Juma Kasozi (on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University), Dr. John Okuonzi (Kyambogo University), and Prof. Jude T. Lubega (Vice Chancellor, Nkumba University), all of whom expressed gratitude for the valuable support.
The event was witnessed by key stakeholders such as Betty Namubiru, Manager of National Content at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), along with Joint Venture Partners: CNOOC, Uganda National Oil Company, and EACOP Ltd.
This donation is part of a broader commitment by TotalEnergies EP Uganda to capacity building and education, which includes initiatives like the Tilenga Academy, Tilenga Train the Trainer program, the Makerere University Emergency Medicine Simulation Training Centre (established in 2023), internship and graduate trainee programs, scholarships, and support for refurbishment of the Makerere Ivory Tower auditorium.
