EAST African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has launched an enterprise development programme to support households impacted by the project.

The EACOP's Land and Social Manager in Tanzania, Jean Lennock, announced that the programme is the seventh (LRA7) of the broader Livelihood Restoration Activities out of eight identified.

"The primary goal of LRA7 is to foster the creation and growth of businesses, benefiting 8,971 households," she stated.

The initiative targets 453 priority areas, encompassing 8,518 households along the pipeline route across eight regions namely Kagera, Geita, Shinyanga, Tabora, Singida, Dodoma, Manyara and Tanga.

The programme involves comprehensive assessments to identify and address challenges hindering business development.

It aims to equip affected households with the skills and resources needed to successfully manage their enterprises and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

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Since 2021, EACOP has been implementing the Livelihood Restoration Programme to restore the livelihoods of project affected households to pre-project levels.

She explained that EACOP developed eight Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs), each incorporating a Livelihood Restoration Programme (LRP) to achieve this objective.

"Within the livelihood restoration programme, we have identified eight LRAs for project affected areas, project pipeline land (PPL) and project affected households," she said.

These activities included the Land Preparation and Planting of Replacement Agricultural Land (LRA1), Maize Improvement Programme (LRA2), Crop Diversification (LRA3), Poultry Production Programme (LRA4), Livestock Improved Husbandry Programme (LRA5), Improved Beekeeping Practices (LRA6), Enterprise Development (LRA7) and Household Budgeting and Money Management Training (LRA8).

Currently, LRAs 1-6 are actively progressing in PA, while LRAs 1-3 are underway in PPL, and LRAs 4-6 are in the assessment and design phases.