By Zamzam Daqare - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 12 October 2026 — The East Africa Community Conference (EACON 2026) opened in Mogadishu on Monday, bringing together policymakers, business leaders and academics to discuss how Somalia can benefit from its membership in the East African Community, particularly in trade, investment, education and youth skills development.
Jointly organised by SIMAD University and Somali National University, the conference is the third of its kind and is expected to attract more than 500 delegates from government, the EAC, businesses, investment organisations, universities and civil society.
The two-day conference, running from Oct. 12 to 13, focuses on incorporating EAC treaties and protocols into domestic law, strengthening the competitiveness of Somali businesses in regional markets and preparing young people for employment and business opportunities across member states.
Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, speaking at the opening ceremony, said benefiting from EAC membership would require incorporating the bloc’s agreements into national legislation.
He highlighted the importance of legal harmonisation, regulatory reforms and institutional preparedness to enable Somalia to take advantage of economic and commercial opportunities from regional integration.
Conference Chair and SIMAD University Vice-Rector Dr. Aamina Sheikh Omar Mohamud said the conference’s success would be measured by actions taken and results achieved after its conclusion.
The first two EACON conferences focused on Somalia’s accession to the EAC and potential benefits. This year’s edition has shifted focus towards translating membership into tangible economic, commercial and educational opportunities.
The programme includes five policy discussions around four strategic pillars, a business competitiveness session involving representatives from 31 government, business and financial institutions, and a separate session on education and human capital development involving 20 education leaders.
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More than 15 innovators and small and medium-sized enterprises are also scheduled to showcase their products and services.
Data presented at the conference highlighted challenges facing Somali businesses in regional markets. According to the figures, only 7% of formal businesses directly export, while 84% primarily sell within the domestic market.
More than half of businesses face difficulties accessing credit and financing, while only 10% applied for loans in 2024. The data also indicated that 91% of employment in Somalia is concentrated in the informal sector.
In education, figures showed approximately 3.4 million children were out of school in 2025, representing 58% of school-age children, while youth unemployment was estimated at 35%.
The conference also highlighted government efforts to improve education, including recruitment and training of 6,000 new teachers, with the aim of increasing the total to 12,000 by the end of 2026.
Somalia signed its treaty of accession to the EAC in December 2023 and formally became the bloc’s eighth member in March 2024, joining a regional market of more than 300 million people.
EACON 2026 is scheduled to conclude on Oct. 13, with organisers expecting to produce a communiqué, policy recommendations and a list of potential investment opportunities for further assessment.