The fourth edition of the Youth in the Energy Sector Students’ Conference was held on Saturday, 30th May 2026, at Mt. Meru Hotel in Arusha, bringing together over 200 students, industry leaders, and key stakeholders under the theme: “From Resource to Prosperity: How Tanzania Turns Energy into Development.”
Convened by EACOP and TotalEnergies in partnership with Ubuntu Impact Limited, the conference built on previous editions held in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, and Zanzibar, further expanding its national reach. Government officials and energy executives, including representatives from key ministries, TPDC, TPS, and CPP, also participated. Students from Arusha Technical University, the Institute of Accountancy Arusha, and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology participated in masterclasses, panel discussions, and a career exhibition.
A keynote on “Energy Transition: African Youth and the Right to Develop” was delivered by Kenneth Mutaonga, Partner at Africa Investment Advisors and Co-Founder of Asilia Energy. Drawing on Africa’s evolving energy landscape, he challenged young professionals to see themselves not as beneficiaries of the sector but as architects of it.
Delivering the masterclass, Kenneth Mutaonga emphasized that youth have been recognized as critical drivers of innovation and socio-economic transformation across Africa. He noted that “The expanding energy sector presents opportunities for young people, youth-owned SMEs, and entrepreneurs to engage across the value chain, and called on them to build capacity and actively participate in shaping Africa’s energy future.
Panel discussions addressed how large-scale energy projects strengthen local economies and create employment, while a financial education segment explored how youth can access funding, build careers, and invest within the energy value chain. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline featured prominently throughout as a concrete example of how a single infrastructure project can generate thousands of direct and indirect opportunities, stimulate local enterprise, and anchor long-term economic development for host communities.
A career fair by EACOP Tanzania and TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania provided direct exposure to graduate programs and professional development pathways, with testimonials from current trainees bringing the opportunities to life.
Speaking on the panel “How Energy Projects Can Strengthen Local Economies,” Marième-Sav Sow, Vice President Engagement & Advocacy at TotalEnergies, stated:
“Africa is not waiting for permission to develop. The question is no longer whether we have the resources, we do. The question is whether we are building the institutional and human foundations to turn those resources into lasting prosperity. Young Tanzanians are not the future of this sector. They are its present.”
The conference reflected a shared conviction: that the energy sector’s greatest asset is the generation now entering it. Through sustained partnerships between industry, academia, and civil society, EACOP and TotalEnergies remain committed to ensuring that Tanzania’s energy wealth translates into opportunity for the communities that host these projects, and for the young people who will carry them forward.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TotalEnergies.
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About Ubuntu Impact Limited:
Ubuntu Impact Limited is a Human Capital Consulting Company based in Tanzania, operating across East Africa. The company is committed to providing reliable, people-centred solutions that drive positive change, substantial growth, employability, and organizational excellence. Ubuntu Impact Limited offers customized solutions in Recruitment, Training, Team Building, Leadership Development, HR Consulting, and Event Management. The company partners with organizations to unlock people’s potential through customized solutions designed to elevate culture, capability, and performance. The core values that guide Ubuntu Impact Limited are Substantial Growth, Energy Driven, and Nurturing & Supportive.
About East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP):
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Company was legally established in February 2022 to construct and operate the 1,443km long buried pipeline, starting in Kabaalega, Uganda’s Hoima District, and ending in a marine terminal near Tanga Port in Tanzania. It will transport oil from 2 upstream projects, Tilenga and Kingfisher, operated by TotalEnergies and CNOOC respectively, and other projects that could be developed in the future. This major export system comprises of a 24-inch, insulated pipeline, six pumping stations (2 in Uganda and 4 in Tanzania), two pressure reduction stations and a marine export terminal. Once trenched, installed and buried, the pipeline route will be revegetated such that people and animals will be able to freely pass across.
About TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania Limited:
TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania Limited is Energies marketing and service company, incorporated in Tanzania since 1969. TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania Ltd business focuses on the marketing, supply and service of various energies including petroleum products, LPG and Lubricants and venturing in renewable energies. TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania Ltd extends its expertise in offering reliable, secure, and convenient service through its use of the TotalEnergies Card system for the purchase of lubricants, Excellium fuels and car service at any TotalEnergies service station. As part of its diversification, TotalEnergies Tanzania Ltd through the TotalEnergies Access to Solar (TATS) project supports the distribution of solar lamps to Tanzanian community.
About TotalEnergies:
TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas, biogas and low-carbon hydrogen, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.
