Tanzania plans to streamline its oil and gas industry to the world, via a robust and tailor-made, two-day congress, commencing on 2nd and 3rd of October 2019.
For a third time, Tanzania will host the Oil and Gas Congress and attract delegates from over 67 nations across the globe, including sector’s crucial players: Oman, UAE, Canada, Brazil, UK, Norway, and India.
Organized by Ocean Business Partners and CWC, via a partnership with other essential government parastatals and private sector in Tanzania, the 3rd Oil and Gas Congress stands to be an event not to be missed.
Tanzania—has been ascending in the extractives sector’s ladder quite steadily over the past decade, levitating commercial aspects in natural gas production and enhancing national content take-up across the country by building capacity with local suppliers, technocrats and consumers.
In that context, the anticipated and eye-catching congress is yet another concrete and calculated move by the Tanzanian oil and gas industry, to expose investment opportunities in the sector to the world. The aim is to build national human capital available to assist in the realization of Tanzania’s industrialization dream by harnessing the energy sector.
Speaking at a press conference on September 30th in Dar es Salaam, the Lead Organizer of the congress, Ocean Business Partners Director, Hon. Abdulsamad Abdulrahim, who is also the Chairman of Association of Tanzania Oil and Gas Service Providers (ATOGS), highlighted various key issues the congress will expose to propel potential development in the energy sector.
How Tanzania will bring investors
The congress will bring together more than 600 delegates from across the globe, most of them being crucial investors and technocrats from different respective oil and gas spheres, will a clear intent of assisting the country to harness its energy potential for an industrial driven economy.
According to the organizers, the oil and gas industry used to run on “business as usual” mode, which will cease to exist after the congress. Adding that: the congress brings forth an impeccable attitude for local players to step-up and capture wide and profitable portions of the sector.
This means, via learning how to fetch their respective stake from ongoing projects, master best practices in the oil and gas sector, short term aspects of supply and demand in the sector particularly within Tanzania.
Moreover, Tanzania stands to learn from a handful of ideas and acquire benefits through various projects including the Kenya oil pipeline, Tanzania and Zambia oil pipeline, Tanzania and Uganda (Hoima) pipeline and distribution of gas to home projects in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Lindi regions.
For the first time, Tanzania Petroleum Development Cooperation (TPDC) will exhibit various opportunities in the congress, but also enable Tanzanians to acquire useful information, (or in Abdulrahim’s words “get all the nitty-gritty”), and build their respective capacities in delivering standard and quality services/products useful in the sector.
Abdulrahim also commented on eliminating information flow-gap in the sector, insisting on leveraging the congress to boost industry-perspective awareness to local stakeholders by attracting vital players from across the world to one setting.
“We want Tanzanians to get information. Previously, information originated from London, Paris and New York, but this time, various Directors of projects already ongoing in Tanzania, will elaborate on various issues in the sector and how locals can participate.”
The Congress looks forward to hosting a youth awards event, which will award university students from an essay writing competition and will showcase the recipients of scholarships to learning institutions offering oil and gas related courses/training.
Promoting national content
In realization of Tanzania’s energy industry, organizers came up with a strategic approach to enhance locals’ abilities to get crucial insights into the industry but also streamline other areas of the local economy, tourism included.
“There will be an opportunity for us Tanzanians, to learn more on business agreements between national and foreign companies, this means companies listed are coming to make a joint venture,” Abdulrahim commented.
Further, during the press conference, Abdulrahim came bearing good tidings, whereby, Dodsal—a vital oil and gas company that pulled out from Tanzania a few years ago, will be resuming its activities in Tanzania. This is a direct result of the Congress’ efforts to build better relationships with other key stakeholders across the world.
However, the Congress will also award Tanzanian companies that have been displaying rather remarkable progress, within the oil and gas industry.
“The congress will converge vital stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, from the government and private sector. The main focus will be to facilitate business agreements between national and foreign companies,” Abdulrahim adds.
For the first time ever, within East Africa, the congress will foster gender-actions in the sector, which Abdulrahim acknowledges to exhibit stereotypes of “male-domination”. The congress will usher the first, “Women in Energy” forum to showcase all issues cutting across women participation in the industry.
“We want to give women extensive opportunities in the oil and gas industry, which is thought to be a male-dominated industry,” Abdulrahim said.
There are exceptional and mostly unknown women in the sector. The Congress will showcase vital roles played these women, to motivate other women in the sector and aspirants.
READ: What to expect at the Tanzania Oil and Gas Congress this September
Local participation
Further, for the first, the organizers have extended their reach by incorporate modest income Tanzanians into the congress activities, and by giving them an opportunity to be exhibitors at the event.
The process involved bringing in participants from 8 regions (24 districts and more than 300 wards, across Tanzania) to showcase their products during the congress and to spark product consumption to foreign delegates, thereby enabling them to earn a decent amount of income and promote their commodities.
Co-organizer Tiago Marques from CWC looks forward to stimulating viable business relations among stakeholders in the sector.
“We intend to promote collaboration in all stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, we will have two days of discussion between government and private sector and local business, and aim to promote partnerships as that is the key to success in any endeavor.”
A handful of opportunities and investment is anticipated to germinate from the congress, as organizers look forward to promoting tourism as well to foreign delegates, who might enjoy exotic adventures within the coastal corridor.
READ: Tanzania ’s Oil and Gas sector up for grabs investors told
