Arusha. The construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has reached more than 81 percent completion.
This was revealed by the director of Planning and Investment at the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), Derick Moshi, during an energy opportunities symposium for university students held in Arusha over the weekend.
Mr Moshi said the project, whose construction began in 2022, is expected to be completed next year as implementation has reached an advanced stage.
“The project is now over 81 percent complete, and we expect it to be finished by next year, when we will witness the first barrel of oil passing through,” Moshi said.
He added that global oil supply challenges linked to conflicts in the Middle East highlight the importance of the project.
“Once completed, this project will help address oil supply challenges in Tanzania and across the East African region. We have already begun the process of constructing an oil refinery in Tanga, which will strengthen energy security in the country and the region by ensuring a more stable supply of petroleum products,” he said.
According to Mr Moshi, TPDC, as a government institution, holds a 15 percent investment stake in the project.
Speaking on youth participation, he said the project offers numerous opportunities, including employment, self-employment, skills development, and other economic benefits.
He noted that the project has so far created more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Director of the Department of Science and Technology at the ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Harun Makandi, said the symposium bringing together EACOP, TotalEnergies, and innovative university students, was designed to explore opportunities for empowering and building the capacity of young people in the energy sector.
Dr Makandi said the government, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, has long promoted such initiatives by seeking partnerships with private institutions to create platforms that connect young people with emerging opportunities.
“The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology strongly promotes innovation and research, and through collaboration with private institutions, we can make significant progress in developing young people. I therefore urge other institutions to join these efforts so that we can work together to support youth development in sectors such as agriculture, health, and others,” he said.
EACOP Operations Director, Paul Hiegel said the symposium plays an important role in helping young people understand employment opportunities within the project, acquire practical skills, build confidence, and prepare a new generation capable of operating the project for decades.
“As of yesterday, the Tanzania section of the project had a total workforce of 8,856 employees, 90 percent of whom are Tanzanian youth. This demonstrates that our young people are directly benefiting from the presence of this project,” said Geofrey Mponda, EACOP’s Director of Human Resources and Services and EACOP Acting Tanzania Manager.
TotalEnergies EP Africa Vice President for Engagement and Advocacy, Marieme Sav Sow, said the symposium provides Tanzanian youth with opportunities to gain hands-on skills, access employment opportunities, and build professional networks with project leaders and among themselves.
She noted that the EACOP project is bringing significant transformation to Tanzania, particularly for young people.
“These conferences are intended to open opportunities for youth so they can better understand developments in the energy sector, technological changes, and how major energy projects are managed.
Through this symposium, young people have been encouraged to take advantage of opportunities available in the energy sector after completing their studies,” said Getrude Mpangile, Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania.
One of the participating students, Dorine Mallya from the Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA), said the symposium had helped students understand opportunities available in the energy sector and how these could shape their future careers and livelihoods.
“This symposium helps university students understand market demands in relation to the programmes they are studying, making it a valuable opportunity for them,” said Dr Nicodemus Mbwambo, Academic Director at Arusha Technical College (ATC), respectively.
