TotalEnergies awards 100 scholarships in Uganda’s oil corridor

TotalEnergies E&P Uganda has awarded 100 fully funded scholarships to students from the oil-producing Albertine Graben region to pursue nursing and midwifery training at St. Mary’s Nursing School, Lacor. The move signals a shift in the company’s corporate social investment strategy—from short-term aid to long-term human capital development.

The beneficiaries hail from six districts most impacted by Uganda’s oil and gas developments: Hoima, Kikuube, Pakwach, Masindi, Buliisa, and Nwoya. These areas host key infrastructure for the Tilenga project and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

The scholarship initiative, launched following TotalEnergies’ centenary celebrations, is designed to strengthen the regional health sector while improving livelihoods through skills development.

“This program is not charity—it is a strategic investment in the future workforce of this region,” said Martin Opio, Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility at TotalEnergies E&P Uganda. “We prioritised high-performing, vulnerable students from within the oil corridor to ensure the greatest impact.”

Students were selected through a competitive, merit-based process that considered academic performance, household vulnerability, and local origin. While top 15 performers came from Hoima, Kikuube, Masindi, and Pakwach, the districts of Buliisa and Nwoya received 20 slots each due to their direct proximity to the company’s upstream operations.

“We wanted to give a leg up to the best and most deserving candidates from oil-affected communities,” Opio explained. “This is how we rank and prioritise long-term inclusion.”

For many beneficiaries, the scholarships represent a lifeline.

Gilbert Ochan, a parent from Fualwonga Parish in Pakwach District, said the award has transformed the future of his daughter Hope, who excelled in national exams despite caring for her mother battling mental illness and enduring frequent hospital visits to Butabika.

“If every company gave back to the community like this, our children would have a future,” Ochan said. “We thank TotalEnergies for reaching the grassroots.”

Brian Ocungirwoth, another scholarship recipient from Pakwach Town Council, lost his father in Primary Six and has since relied on handouts. His mother sells charcoal in the town market to sustain the family.

“Even through my toughest school years, I never lost hope,” he said. “This scholarship changes everything.”

Officials from the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) said the initiative is part of broader efforts to link oil-sector revenues with inclusive development.

“The opportunities from Uganda’s oil industry are not limited to engineers and geologists,” said Pennina Aheebwa, Director of Economic and National Content Monitoring at PAU. “From agriculture to tourism, and now health—communities must actively tap into the entire value chain.”

The scholarships are expected to generate a pipeline of locally trained professionals who will serve both oil-hosting districts and the broader national health system—while also aligning with TotalEnergies’ local content obligations and Uganda’s Vision 2040 development strategy.