South Sudan’s Young Energy Professionals to Spotlight Innovation at South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2026 Workshop

JUBA --&nbspThe seventh edition of South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP), taking place November 24–25 in Juba, will feature a dedicated youth in energy workshop highlighting initiatives to empower young South Sudanese entrepreneurs, expand local workforce participation and unlock investment opportunities in skills development and human capital. Titled Youth in Energy Workshop: Building Local Capacity, the session will bring together Jamal Monduku, President of the South Sudanese Geologists & Geophysicists Association (SSGPA); Eng. Michael Alier Deng, Chairman of the South Sudan Petroleum Engineers & Geoscientists Association (SSPEGA); and South Sudan’s national oil company Nilepet. With 14 exploration blocks available for investment and plans to increase production from existing fields, South Sudan offers opportunities for emerging professionals to contribute across exploration, engineering, technology, logistics and petroleum services. Young entrepreneurs also have the potential to introduce new business models and locally developed solutions that improve operational efficiency, strengthen supply chains and expand domestic participation in the industry. Under the Petroleum Act, a 31% equity requirement is reserved for national investors, establishing a foundation for domestic enterprise and workforce participation in project development. To support this mandate, state institutions are scaling local content and training initiatives. Nilepet continues to build technical competency through its Training, Research and Development Directorate, while the Ministry of Petroleum plans to launch a dedicated oil and gas training institute for South Sudanese engineers and geoscientists. https://apo-opa.co/4iSMUlO https://apo-opa.co/4Au7hg4 Professional bodies are reinforcing this push locally. SSGPA and SSPEGA are actively bridging the gap between academia and industry by organizing technical workshops, knowledge exchanges and field programs designed to connect emerging geoscientists with established sector operators. South Sudan is also pursuing international capacity-building partnerships. Following bilateral engagements between President Salva Kiir and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia raised its scholarship allocation for South Sudanese students to 40 places for the 2026–2027 academic year, focusing on specialized technical disciplines. https://apo-opa.co/4fx1HBx Building on these milestones, SSOP 2026 will provide a platform for cross-sector collaboration to expand employment opportunities and accelerate youth participation across the energy value chain. Returning for its seventh edition under the theme Resource Renaissance: Energy-Fueled Growth for a New Generation, SSOP 2026 will connect young professionals, training providers and financial institutions with upstream operators and project developers to build a skilled workforce capable of driving long-term energy security.