The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) has emphasized the crucial role journalists play in promoting Uganda’s oil and gas sector, urging them to report on the industry with a sense of national duty.
Why Journalists Matter
Journalists are key stakeholders in the oil and gas sector because their reporting can significantly impact the country’s ability to attract investors. Potential investors closely follow media coverage of the sector, making it essential for journalists to provide accurate and balanced reporting.
Responsible Reporting
During a training workshop for the Uganda Editors’ Guild at Kampala Serena Hotel on Wednesday, Ali Sekatawa, Director Legal and Corporate Affairs at PAU, encouraged editors to approach the industry with a sense of national duty. He emphasized the importance of scrutinizing the sector, holding stakeholders accountable, and recognizing progress and opportunities.
“It is important to scrutinise the sector, hold us accountable but also recognise progress and opportunities,” Sekatawa said.
“Distinguish between genuine and environmental concerns and geopolitical agendas masked as activism,” he added, urging the editors to report on Uganda’s oil and gas sector as a national asset, not just a fossil fuel debate.”
Sekatawa gave an example of the ‘StopEACOP Campaign’, which he said is largely driven by foreign interests and forces that sought to derail Uganda’s oil and gas ambitions by pressuring some banks to withdraw financing for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline(EACOP) under the guise of climate concerns.
Urging the journalists to avoid such detractors, Sekatawa said, “These same banks are now lining up to offer financial services to contractors and employees working on the project. If you cannot touch ‘Haram,’ why seek to profit from a so-called ‘Haram enterprise?’
Distinguishing Between Genuine Concerns and Geopolitical Agendas
Sekatawa cautioned journalists to distinguish between genuine environmental concerns and geopolitical agendas masked as activism. He urged them to report on Uganda’s oil and gas sector as a national asset rather than solely focusing on the fossil fuel debate.
Collaboration and Training
The training workshop, organized in collaboration with PAU, TotalEnergies EP Uganda, and CNOOC Uganda Limited, aimed to equip editors and journalists with the knowledge and skills necessary to report on the oil and gas sector effectively.
In his closing remarks, Sekatawa noted that as Uganda’s oil and gas sector continues to grow, the role of journalists in promoting the industry and attracting investors cannot be overstated.
By providing accurate and balanced reporting, journalists can help showcase Uganda’s oil and gas sector as a national asset, driving economic growth and development.