Uganda Launches Annual National Content Awards to Recognize Best Performing Companies, Entrepreneurs

The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU|) has launched the first Annual National Content Awards to recognise companies/individuals engaged in Uganda’s Oil and Gas(O&G) sector for taking deliberate efforts to ensure that value is generated and retained in the economy. The awards were launched at the 4^th Annual National Content Conference jointly organised with the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum on 6^th and 7^th December 2023 at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

The awards are in seven (7) categories and premised on the mandate of the PAU to regulate and monitor national content in Uganda’s O&G sector. The awards are in the following categories: Skilling, Technology Transfer, Supplier Development Programme of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility, Inclusivity, Greening and Sustainability, and the National Content Partner of the Year.  The winners of the different award categories are listed below:

1. The Skilling Award: McDermott Uganda Limited

This award recognises  original and/ or outstanding contributions to skilling of Ugandans in the O&G  sector and provision of employment opportunities to Ugandans.  The criteria considered was:

• The percentage of local employees in the workforce of the company. A higher weight was applied to a non-Ugandan company that has more than 70% of employees being Ugandan.
• The value of investments made in training and development programmes for Ugandans and particularly local communities.
• The number and value of training for Ugandans employed by the company especially from the community.

The finalists under this category were:

• Enviroserve Uganda Limited
• Gauff Consultants Uganda Limited
• Mcdermott Uganda Limited
• Schlumberger
• ZPEB

McDermott Uganda Limited was recognised for original and/ or outstanding contributions to skilling of Ugandans in the O&G sector and provision of employment opportunities to Ugandans.  The company accomplished the following:

• Spent over US$ 2M on training Ugandans in addition to hiring over two thousand, five hundred (2,500) Ugandans (91%).
• More than ninety (90) Internships /Apprenticeships with MDRs/SIN and their contractors.
• Trained about twenty-four (24) staff from the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) in advanced drilling best practice by PetroKnowledge & Project Risk Management ISO 31000 in 2023. The training valued at US$ 68,000 equipped the UNOC Team with relevant skills to facilitate effective participation on the ongoing operations.
• Set up a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) production project which has contributed to the improvement of tailoring skills, business/enterprise development to women-run Micro- Small, and Medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs) as well as equipping tailoring units within selected vocational institutions. The trained SMEs are now producing over one thousand, four hundred (1,400) coveralls, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for various O&G companies.

2. The Technology Transfer Award: Schlumberger

This award is presented to a company in recognition of outstanding achievements in transfer of technology to Ugandan companies, universities or agencies that has enabled them to enhance their capacity and increase their efficiency. The nominees under this category have done some or all the following:

• Transferred technology to Ugandan institutions,
• Granted a Ugandan institution(s) access to proprietary software, and;
• Provided support to local contractors and encouraging Ugandan company participation in procurement.

Schlumberger was recognised for outstanding achievements in transfer of technology to Ugandan companies, universities or agencies that has enabled them to enhance their capacity and increase their efficiency. The company accomplished the following:

• As part the national capacity building initiatives, from 2011 to date, Schlumberger donated software, computer hardware, software training and support to Makerere University of over $3M.
• Supported the lecturers and the students for both the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the Department of Geology and Petroleum studies in the use of the software and passing on domain knowledge.
• With this software students can continuously practice and execute projects in Geology, Geophysics, and Reservoir Engineering workflows.
• In 2023, the Company renewed the software licenses for a three (3) year period:

The finalists under this category were:

• China Oilfield Services Limited Uganda (COSL)
• TotalEnergies Exploration and Production (E&P) Uganda Limited.

Supplier Development Programme of the Year:Mineral Services Limited.

This award will be presented to a company in recognition of its outstanding achievement in supplier development through some or all the following:

• Percentage/value of goods and services procured from Ugandan suppliers.
• Deliberate Measures taken to increase the participation of local firms in the supply chain.
• Verifiable support provided to local suppliers to enhance their capabilities and competitiveness.

Mineral Services Limited was recognised for all the following:

• Built capacity of farmers in Butiaba to be able to supply livestock and other farm supplies as well as generate income and promote co-existence in business opportunities with local supplier.
• Procured goods worth over UGX 2.8 billion from the communities over a nine (9) month.
• Eased the payment processes for purchases from the community suppliers. Make efforts to pay for community supplies in cash upon delivery or within four (4) days of delivery of supplies which enabled increased participation of community suppliers in the Oil and Gas sector.
• Construction of a collection center where the local community suppliers are delivering their products and several people are benefiting by selling their products like fish, matooke, watermelon.

4. Corporate Social Responsibility Award: TotalEnergies E&P Uganda Limited:

This award is presented in recognition of the company’s successful implementation of an idea, process, or initiative as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility that has been proven to make a genuine difference or positive impact on the community or project area within Uganda. Areas of consideration include but not limited to:

• Implementation of sustainable initiatives contributing to the welfare of communities.
• Positive impact on education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
• Engagement with communities to ensure their concerns and aspirations are addressed. Livelihood improvement community project among others.

TotalEnergies E&P Uganda Limited accomplished the following:

Awarded scholarships to both O-level and A-level students in the Albertine Graben.

• Implemented Road Safety programmes that impacted over one hundred, thirty (130) schools.
• Sponsored technical courses that have benefited over three hundred fifty (350) students.
• Supported the local Health sector with donations to the tune of US$ 86,000 covering: modern medical equipment, furniture, and medicine.
• Revamped a General Hospital in one of the oil districts.
• Developed an action programme that provided consumables (drugs, items for patients etc) to health facilities; and
• Rehabilitated ten (10) community boreholes in the local communities.

5. Inclusivity Award: TotalEnergies E&P Uganda Limited

This award recognises outstanding efforts executed in promoting inclusivity within the Oil and Gas sector players that promote recruitment of women, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups within Uganda.

TEPU has the highest percentage of female employees in Uganda’s O&G sector and has implemented initiatives aimed at empowering women and building their capacity to grow within the company.

Criteria used:

• Companies employing fifty (50) or more staff.
• Companies that have more than 22% (O&G industry female average).

Greening and Sustainability Award Winner: China National Offshore Oil Company Uganda Limited

This award is presented to a company that has championed greening and sustainability in recognition of the company’s outstanding achievement and significant contribution to conserving the environment and sustainable utilisation of the environment. The China National Offshore Oil Company Uganda Limited accomplished the following:

• Planted over one thousand, two hundred (1,200) trees within their local area of operation and distributed over two thousand, five hundred (2,500) seedlings for planting in their area of operation.
• Put in place measures such as hoarding to ensure survival of the trees planted.
• Supported improvement of law enforcement coverage to combat deforestation and illegal logging within the forest to increase forest coverage.
• Trained communities on tree nursery establishment. Communities trained on good tree growing practices, maintenance, trees species site matching, Treatment, and Rotational period.
• Planted two thousand, seven hundred (2,700) tree seedlings in a private forest through its contractor, seedlings were planted in a ten (10)-acre degraded section of the forest land.
• Promoted participatory community wetland restoration initiatives in Kikuube and Hoima districts.
• Carried out school outreaches aimed at sensitising pupils and students on pro-conservation initiatives. The clubs were equipped with tools such as watering cans, tree seedlings protection mesh and undertook tree planting exercises in the schools.
• This company undertook and developed a Climate Change Assessment and Management Plan with the aim of developing mitigation options for greenhouse gas reduction and to formulate adaptation actions to reduce the impact of the identified risks.

7. National Content Partner of the Year: Stanbic Business Incubator Limited.

The Stanbic Business Incubator Limited was  instrumental in promotion of National Content through advocacy and partnerships with the Petroleum Authority of Uganda that have yielded positive results in National Content. SBI championed enterprise development efforts in in the O&G  sector aimed at building the capacity of Ugandan companies and especially small and medium sized companies to participate in the sector.