At least 200 high-level private sector officials from Tanzania and Uganda will attend the first joint oil and gas conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on November 25. 

Another 2,000 participants are expected to follow the event virtually to learn and share experiences and opportunities in the joint oil and gas industry projects. 

Organized by the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) and the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), with support from the two countries’ foreign ministries, the hybrid meeting will shed light on key strategies for partnerships and joint ventures between Ugandan and Tanzania private sector and facilitate public-private sector dialogue on local content in the flagship oil and gas industry projects, according to a conference advisory. 

At the heart of the conference will be discussions on the involvement of the private sector of the two countries in the execution of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. 

The $3.5b project, which runs from Lake Albert to the Tanzanian port of Tanga, is envisaged to create over 5,000 jobs and a further 20,000 indirect jobs. 

The construction of the 1,443km crude oil export pipeline is expected to generate new opportunities for the private sector, including in transportation, securities, food and beverage, hotel accommodation and catering, human resource management, office supplies, civil works, finance, and supply of construction materials, among others. 

Under the project, reservation schemes have been formulated for locals to supply fuel, surveying services, clearing and forwarding, crane hire, locally available construction materials, civil works, environmental studies and impact assessment and ICT services. 

Uganda held a formal launch of the symposium last month under the theme: “enhancing private sector participation in the oil and gas sector.” 

Tanzania will launch the symposium on Thursday (November 4) to kick off preparatory activities ahead of the event in Dare salaam. 

The symposium is seen as an opportunity to promote cooperation between the two countries and facilitate business within the oil and gas sector.