Uganda is sitting on $15 billion in oil sector investments. The question now is whether its graduates are actually ready to work in it — or just hold a certificate.
The third Oil and Gas Skills Expo 2026 opened at Makerere University this week under a theme that says everything about where Uganda’s energy sector is headed: “From Oil and Gas to the Wider Economy: Transferable Skills Driving Sustainable Growth.”
The two-day event brought together government officials, academia, industry players, students, and training institutions from across the country — all wrestling with the same uncomfortable question: Uganda’s oil is almost ready to flow commercially, but are its graduates ready to work in the sector that will define the country’s economic trajectory for the next generation?
The answer from experts was blunt. Not yet. But there is still time to fix it.
Professor Augustine Ifelebuegu, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Victoria University, Kampala, delivered the keynote address and challenged universities to rethink how they train students, arguing that industries today value practical competence more than theoretical knowledge.
He did not soften the message for the academic audience in the room.
“Universities must change. Graduates know theory, but know nothing about practicals. There is a missing link between theory and practice,” he said, adding that “the industry no longer cares about what you know, but what you can do.”
It is the kind of statement that stings precisely because it is true — and because it describes a problem that Uganda’s universities have been warned about for years without sufficient urgency. A geology or petroleum engineering student who graduates having never touched the equipment they studied in diagrams is not ready for a TotalEnergies site. They are ready for a viva voce.
Prof. Ifelebuegu urged institutions to work closely with industries to understand current market demands and produce adaptive problem-solvers rather than certificate holders, with a focus on innovation, practical training, and transferable skills.
Makerere was not there to receive the criticism passively. Professor Juma Kasozi, from the Department of Mathematics, representing the Vice Chancellor, noted that the department has trained over 500 graduates since 2009, many of whom are already contributing to Uganda’s oil and gas sector. He highlighted achievements including internationally accredited courses, specialised laboratories, partnerships with companies such as TotalEnergies, and student success in international competitions.
That is a genuine track record. But the expo’s broader conversation acknowledged that 500 graduates over 16 years is not enough for a sector that is about to shift into full commercial production and will need thousands of skilled workers across multiple disciplines.
University representatives stressed that Makerere is transforming its curriculum to align with industrial demands, saying Uganda needs grounded and enterprising graduates who can innovate and create opportunities instead of only seeking jobs.
PAU Executive Director Ernest Rubondo said the oil and gas industry is now transitioning from exploration to production — a stage that requires fewer workers but more specialised and transferable skills.
That transition matters for every student currently studying engineering, geology, environmental science, or any related discipline. The construction-heavy phase of Uganda’s oil development — the period with the most entry-level opportunities — is already underway and will not last forever. Rubondo explained that Uganda has already trained thousands of young people in areas such as welding, pipefitting, transportation, and construction through partnerships with institutions including Makerere University, Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba, and other technical colleges.
The window for getting into this sector on the ground floor is open — but it will not stay open indefinitely.
Rubondo urged young Ugandans to register on the National Oil and Gas Talent Register and take advantage of certification opportunities that can open doors for international employment. He also emphasised that transferable skills are the real long-term asset — workers trained in oil and gas can later work across construction, manufacturing, and infrastructure development, meaning the investment in those skills pays dividends well beyond the lifespan of any single sector.
The scale of what Uganda is dealing with was put in numbers by undersecretary Grace Tusiime, representing the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, who said the government has already attracted over $15 billion (approximately Shs 55.5 trillion) in investments into the oil and gas sector, boosting infrastructure, agriculture, and education.
She urged young people to embrace professionalism, discipline, and innovation while acquiring skills that can be applied across different industries.
Fifteen billion dollars is not an abstract figure. It is the size of the opportunity sitting in front of Uganda’s current student generation — the engineers, geologists, environmental scientists, technicians, and managers who will either capture that opportunity or watch it go to imported labour because local graduates were not ready.The expo was a reminder that the preparation needed to capture it starts in the classroom — but it cannot end there.
