By Asha Elmi - Reporter
MOGADISHU, Somalia, September 14, 2026 A Canada-backed programme aimed at improving employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in Somalia was launched in Mogadishu on Monday to benefit 450 young people through training and career support.
The programme, known as “Green Growth: Empowering Youth for a Green Future,” is being implemented by SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia in partnership with Arkaan Leadership and Innovation Hub, according to organisers.
The initiative will provide training in core life skills, entrepreneurship, employability skills, career coaching and business development, with women expected to account for 60% of participants.
The programme is supported by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and is being implemented in Somalia, Rwanda and Ethiopia.
In Somalia, the wider programme is expected to reach up to 6,000 young people and will be implemented in Mogadishu, Balcad and Baidoa, according to SOS Children’s Villages.
Daahir Abdullahi, communications and advocacy manager at SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia, said the programme would focus on helping young people develop skills that could improve their access to employment.
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He said some of the training would cover technical and vocational education, waste management and the maintenance of medical equipment.
The launch brought together representatives from the Benadir administration, Somalia’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education, universities, private-sector organisations and other partners.
Ahmed Mohamed, representing the Office of Somalia’s Prime Minister, said the government had established a national committee focused on skills development and job creation as part of efforts to improve employment opportunities for young Somalis and strengthen links between education and the labour market.
Mohamed Isse Mohamed Ali, representing the Ministry of Education, said the government had elevated technical and vocational education and training, or TVET, from a unit to a directorate as part of its focus on skills development.
Abdullahi Mohamed Haji, director general of Arkaan Leadership and Innovation Hub, said the programme was designed to address widespread unemployment by giving young people practical skills and supporting their entrepreneurship and access to opportunities in the labour market.
The organisers said the initiative would place particular emphasis on young women and other young people seeking to enter the workforce.