Under the high patronage of the Prime Minister, H.E. Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, the Minister of Economy and Finance (MEFI) in charge of Industry, H.E. Mr. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, the Secretary of State for Investment and Private Sector Development, H.E. Safia Mohamed Ali Gadileh with the support of UNDP launches the first SDG Investor Map in Djibouti.

The SDG Investment Platform, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEFI) in charge of Industry, the UNDP International Centre for Private Sector Development (IICPSD) and UNDP Djibouti, provides data, information and insights on investment opportunities with the potential to contribute to sustainable development.

The Djibouti SDG Investor Map can be used by private investors to explore the 21 investment themes identified in eight sectors that not only have significant potential to advance the Sustainable Development Goals, but also where government policies and national development needs intersect.

Located in the geographically strategic position of the Horn of Africa region, Djibouti offers investment themes that contribute to regional connectivity, economic integration, resilience to climate shocks, access to finance, and improved value chains - particularly in food and agriculture.

While the identified investment themes promote domestic prosperity, they also contribute to regional economic integration and intra-regional trade through inclusive cross-border value chains between neighboring countries, for the peace and stability of the region.

The eight priority sectors identified are transportation, services, renewable and alternative energy, finance, technology and communications, infrastructure, food and beverage, and health. Below are the drivers and some of the investment themes highlighted for the sector priorities:

·        Transportation: Djibouti's growth is driven by maritime transportation and mega projects that envisage creating a major hub with multi-modal infrastructure around the Port of Djibouti by 2035. 

·        Services:  Djibouti's economy is dominated by the services sector generating 70% of growth. Transport services, especially port activities are the main growth source and employ most of the workforce.

·        Renewable and Alternative Energy: Djibouti has a very large and untapped renewable energy potential in terms of wind, geothermal and solar power with an average annual sunshine rate 5 kWh/m² as well as an insolation rate of around 4000 hours.

·       Financials: The financial sector in Djibouti is dominated by banks, representing 94% of total assets of the financial system and 80% of total loans to the economy. Microfinancing and innovative solutions could help MSMEs as only 13% of micro enterprises and 39% of SMEs with less than 50 employees use a bank loan.

·        Technology and Communications:  Access to telecommunications and internet services in Djibouti is limited and could be enhanced through investments increasing the mobile broadband penetration rate. 

·        Infrastructure:  Affordable and eco-friendly housing could help Djibouti’s population have access to decent housing tackling challenges, particularly considering house purchase and rental prices in the country. 

·        Food and Beverage:  Boosting agricultural activity could generate employment and help address the high dependence on imports for food security and rising levels of desertification in rural areas. The contribution of agriculture to the national GDP is expected to increase from 3.7% in 2012 to 4.1% in 2022 and 5% of GDP by 2035, according to the Djibouti Vision 2035 strategy document.

·        Healthcare:  The 2018-22 National Health Development Plan, allocates an operating budget comprising 6.73% of total government expenditures to the Ministry of Health to provide quality care and accessibility, carry out disease and sickness prevention campaigns, and strengthen governance and information management.