By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Somalia, 26 April 2026 Lack of funds and competing needs are forcing Somalia to prioritize basic education over expanding public universities, Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir said.
Abdulkadir said the government will continue focusing on early-stage education, saying it forms the foundation of the country’s future learning system.
“If children miss out at an early stage, the entire education system is affected for a lifetime,” the minister said in an interview aired last week on Dawan Media’s Miizaan Podcast.
He said the government’s limited resources are being directed primarily toward basic education.
“The largest share of government capacity is going into basic education,” he said.
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Abdulkadir added that even international partners supporting Somalia tend to prioritise funding for primary education, where demand significantly outweighs that for higher education.
He said the high cost of university-level education remains a key barrier to expansion, noting that many countries do not offer free higher education.
“We do not have the capacity to expand universities… even what exists is difficult to sustain,” he said.
The minister also called for a reassessment of higher education priorities, suggesting a stronger focus on technical and vocational training to better prepare young people for the labour market.
His remarks come amid ongoing debate in Somalia over how to balance investment between basic and higher education sectors as the country seeks to rebuild its education system.