By Zakaria Soohoyde - Reporter
(MOGADISHU — October 1, 2026) A total of 4,287 students sat for the Somali National University’s admission examination today, seeking to join the university during the new academic year.
The examination was held simultaneously at university centres in Mogadishu, Abudwaaq and Badhan, as well as in Garowe, Beledweyne, Kismayo and Baidoa.
Holding the examination in multiple locations is intended to make higher education opportunities more accessible to students living outside Mogadishu, allowing them to compete for admission without travelling to the capital.
The university’s Rector, Prof. Dr. Mohamed Mohamud, officially opened the examination in Mogadishu.
The university also deployed supervisors from its central administration to the different examination centres to monitor the process and ensure that the tests were conducted in accordance with its procedures and regulations.
The Somali National University was initially established as a higher institute in 1954, before officially becoming a university in 1969.
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For decades, it was Somalia’s only public university and played a significant role in the development of the country’s political, scientific, technological, economic and social sectors.
Following the collapse of Somalia’s central government, the university also ceased its educational operations.
However, the Somali Council of Ministers approved its reopening on 26 November 2013, and the university officially reopened its doors on 16 August 2014.
Its reopening marked a significant step in restoring government-provided higher education in Somalia.
The university is holding its admission examination at centres across different parts of the country, as part of efforts to bring higher education opportunities closer to Somali students.