By Geofrey Achora Jr.
To promote local content in petroleum, Uganda petroleum institute Kigumba has boasted the construction of modern infrastructures with fully furnished equipment to elevate the institute from a vocational school to a fully-fledged international university. #WhisperEyeNews #UgandaNews
Started under a presidential initiative in 2009 to train and skill personnel in petroleum-related skills at certificate, diploma, and undergraduate levels: The institute through the Albertine region sustainable development project and the World Bank is face-lifting the institution with the construction of a multipurpose building and roads.
The total cost of the project is over 56 billion Ugandan shillings according to the permanents secretary Ministry of Education and Sports. Ms. Kate Lamaro clarified that the facilities were significant to the government’s journey of transforming skills development in the country.
Oscar Muhumuza the acting public relation officer of the institution remarked that the petroleum institute has earmarked 200 acres of planned land to accommodate such merging needs
He adds that the institute has an affirmative action program for disadvantaged learners especially the female who still have low visibility in vocational training.
“We have 200 acres of land and all is planned so whatever infrastructure comes up is to fit the emerging needs and everything is up with plans .in the last four years, we have had support under the Albertine Graben sustainable development which is a world bank this project has to enable us to have five workshops equipment plus a multipurpose building so it has a huge facelift for the last four years,” Muhumuza said.
At the institute, an estimated 690 students have been retooled in various vocational faculties in anticipation of oil and gas exploration in Uganda some of the learners pursuing various courses appreciate the nice infrastructure aligning with the curriculum that suits the international oil and gas standards Agaba Clare is among those.
As an accredited center for international vocational qualifications training in oil and gas some of the courses included upstream petroleum operation, downstream petroleum operation, Electrical maintenance, mechanical maintenance, Health Safety, and Environment as well as welding, fabrication, and pipework.
According to Muhumuza with such infrastructure in place, the institute will soon become Africa’s first accredited oil and Gas training Centre for offshore petroleum industry training organization(OPITO) the world’s most highly ranked Authority in oil and gas training.
Students speak out.
Agaba Clare pursuing electrical maintenance appreciates the infrastructure aligning with the curriculum that suits the international oil and gas standards
“The courses here are excellent and they are international and all the study materials are available and have gotten all the skills that I want the knowledge and have acquired the skills in petroleum operations and all the safety measures to do with oil and gas ”Clare explained.
Kaguma David is a retained student following his excellent performance at the institute he is currently a trainer in the faculty of welding and metal fabrication.
He said: “It has given me a platform to transfer skills and knowledge to a lot of Ugandans who are not much educated because this is a kind of work have trained several wielders realized around 250 most of them are structural 1G to 3G trainees for plates and also pipe welders for the pipeline”
Located in Kiryandongo district, Kigumba petroleum institute also referred to as Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK) is a government-owned national center for training, research, and consultancy in the field of petroleum exploration, recovery, refinement, and responsible utilization in Uganda.
