By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Mogadishu, 26 August 2026 — Somalia on Tuesday began consultations with universities on new policies and standards for higher education.
The two-day meeting was organized by the National Higher Education Commission and brings together universities from across the country, the Ministry of Education said.
Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir opened the talks, which focus on quality and national planning for the sector.
Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ahmed Jimale said the commission has drafted a national policy, strategy and regulations, plus standards containing up to 200 criteria for evaluating universities.
The new system will include self-assessments by universities and site visits to verify information, along with checks for qualification verification and equivalency.
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"What is included in the self-evaluation will become the basis for the assessment," Jimale said, adding universities will be given time to prepare and results will be published.
Ministry Permanent Secretary Hassan Mohamed Ali said the reforms must serve the public interest and urged universities to propose changes.
Ali said Somalia has about 130 registered universities and questioned whether graduates can compete regionally and internationally.
"If a job is advertised and a graduate from one of our universities competes with a graduate from another university, can our graduate compete and succeed?" he said.
The consultation will review three documents on policy, standards and procedures.