The Albertine Graben holds an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of oil, of which 1.4 billion barrels are considered technically recoverable, according to the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU).
Since the discovery of oil in this region, significant developments have been undertaken to achieve first oil in 2026 including land acquisition, compensation, and resettlement to facilitate the necessitated infrastructural developments for the Tilenga project.
TotalEnergies EP Uganda, the implementor of the project, initiated livelihood restoration programme for the Project-Affected Persons (PAPs) to strengthen traditional livelihood systems while creating opportunities for improved handling, storage, transportation, and marketing to enhance the value of local produce.
It also sought to empower affected households to tap into emerging economic opportunities and become more self-reliant and more resilient. The livelihood restoration programme has supported more than 4,500 households through financial literacy training, transitional support services, agricultural support for crop and livestock farmers, and business and financial capacity-building.
It also encouraged the formation of farmer groups to tap into emerging economic opportunities and build resilience.
TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH MODERN FRAMING
In Ngwedo Sub-County, Buliisa District, this transformation is evident in the formation of the Ngwedo Millers Association, which brings together thirteen Project-Affected Households nominated to represent farmer groups.
The association is now fully registered and operates an office in Buliisa Town for coordination, farmer engagement, and linking producers to buyers. William Kabarole, a farmer from Kilyango Village and a member of the association, recalls how the programme reshaped his farming practices and improved his income.
“We used to grow cassava that took nearly two years to mature. It requires a lot of energy and labour but yields very little. We also had poor crop management, which resulted in heavy losses,” he explains.
The association, composed of households affected under Resettlement Action Plans (RAP) 2 – 5, received a milling plant from TotalEnergies EP Uganda and Living Earth Uganda Ltd in November 2024.
This has been a turning point for the community, enabling them to add value to their produce. The plant mills up to 15,000 kilogrammes of cassava per day, quickly and efficiently.
The association buys cassava in bulk from smallholder farmers, processes it, and packages it for sale to supermarkets. Improved post-harvest technologies have significantly reduced labour demand and crop losses. Farmers now harvest cassava, use a chipping machine to slice it, and during the dry season, it dries within a day before being taken to the Ngwedo Millers milling centre for processing.
“I first sold 300kg, then 500kg. Now, through Mineral Services Limited (MSL), a contractor managing catering services for Tilenga project staff camps, I have guaranteed buyers. Kabarole notes. The benefits of Ngwedo Millers extend to surrounding communities, who pay a modest milling fee to support the association’s operational and maintenance costs.
The impact of these initiatives goes beyond project-affected households. TotalEnergies EP Uganda’s 2025 Social Report indicates that another 5,125 farming households across the Tilenga project host districts of Buliisa, Kikuube, Hoima, Nwoya, and Pakwach have been trained in good agronomic practices and provided with quality agricultural inputs under the Community Agriculture Initiatives programme.
Additionally, 80 acres of multiplication and demonstration gardens have been established in schools and communities to promote agronomic learning and support school feeding programmes.
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