By Maher Ahmed - Reporter
Somalia, 17 May 2026 Somalia led the world in ICT regulatory reform gains between 2007 and 2024, a new International Telecommunication Union report said.
The ITU’s Information and Communication Technology Regulatory Tracker 2026 report showed Somalia’s regulatory score rising from 0.0 in 2007 to 77.5 in 2024, representing an increase of 77.5 points — the highest gain among countries assessed during the period.
The report ranked Somalia first among 15 countries identified as the biggest global risers in ICT regulatory development, ahead of countries including Comoros, Solomon Islands and Eswatini.
According to the report, Somalia’s progress followed reforms introduced after the establishment of the National Communications Authority (NCA) in 2018 under the country’s National Communications Act.
The ITU said Somalia has now officially moved into its Generation 3 (G3) regulatory category, which focuses on enabling investment and expanding access to telecommunications services.
Commenting on the report, National Communications Authority Director General, Mustafa Yasin Sheikh, said the recognition reflected Somalia’s efforts since 2018 to build an independent regulatory institution and a modern legal framework governing the telecommunications and technology sector.
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“Moving from a zero score to becoming one of the world’s highest-rising countries in ICT regulation is an important milestone,” Mustafa said.
He said Somalia’s priorities remained strengthening market competition, expanding access to services and improving consumer protection standards.
The ITU said ICT regulatory reforms were important for attracting investment, strengthening market competition and expanding access to internet and telecommunications services.
The union also said 65% of countries globally are now operating under more advanced ICT regulatory systems, compared with 21% in 2007, reflecting broader changes in global telecommunications governance.
The ICT Regulatory Tracker is one of the ITU’s main benchmarking tools used to measure the development of ICT regulatory systems across 194 countries.
Since 2019, Somalia’s communications authority has introduced regulatory frameworks covering unified licensing systems, interconnection rules for telecom operators, spectrum management, quality-of-service standards, consumer protection measures and numbering systems.
Somalia’s telecommunications sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, with mobile money services, internet connectivity and digital financial technology platforms playing an increasingly important role in the country’s economy.
The Somali government said it plans to continue regulatory reforms and expand digital services to support economic growth and public service delivery.