The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Hormuud Salaam Foundation (HSF) have launched a new partnership to boost youth employment and unlock opportunities in Somalia’s growing green and blue economy.

The 18-month initiative, supported by Hormuud Telecom and Salaam Somali Bank with funding USD 820,000 aims to empower more than 2,000 young people and strengthen 360 small and medium-sized enterprises across Somalia, with at least half of the beneficiaries being women-led businesses.

The agreement was signed in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu in the presence of H.E. Jibril Haji Abdi, Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, alongside ministers of Labor and Social Affairs and Youth and Sports.

At the signing ceremony, Hon. Jibril Haji Abdi, Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, highlighted that the programme represents more than a development initiative — it is a clear example of effective public–private partnership driving Somalia’s economic growth.

“Somalia’s future will be built by Somalis, through the innovation, enterprise, and resilience of our own people. Partnerships like this bring that vision to life. They go hand in hand with our National Transformation Plan, creating dignified work here at home and helping every Somali take part in our country’s growth,” said Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Jibril Haji Abdi.

The programme will deliver a range of initiatives to expand employment, strengthen small businesses, and promote green and digital innovation. These include:

• Shaqo-Abuur – a digital platform connecting youth with verified job opportunities, skills training, and mentorship.
• Innovation Lab – a space to test business models in renewable energy, fisheries, aquaculture, and circular waste management.
• Business incubators and accelerators – tailored training for youth and women entrepreneurs in marketing, management, and financial literacy.
• Digital investment tools – to attract local and diaspora investors.
• Skills and TVET programmes – for young people, including those with disabilities and from displaced communities.

“This initiative is a landmark in public–private collaboration in Somalia,” said Lionel Laurens, UNDP Resident Representative in Somalia. “With the Hormuud Salaam Foundation as the project financial contributor, Hormuud Telecom to drive digital innovation through platforms for business operations and Salaam Somali Bank to facilitate access to Islamic finance to Youth entrepreneurs, we are witnessing a powerful example of Somali-led development. This is what localization looks like in action—Somali institutions investing in Somali solutions”.

Somalia’s private sector already provides over 80 percent of all jobs, yet many enterprises remain informal and under-capitalised, operating in a complex regulatory environment. Women, who lead approximately a third of Somalia’s small businesses, face particular barriers to credit and formalisation. With youth unemployment close to 67 percent and more than three-quarters of Somalis under 30, the country’s economic potential depends on unlocking access to both skills and finance.

“Across Somalia, young people are bursting with ideas — from a shopkeeper in Baidoa to a coder in Mogadishu,” said Abdullahi Osman, CEO of the Hormuud Salaam Foundation. “They don’t need charity; they need a fair chance. This partnership gives them that — skills, capital, and confidence to build a future.”

By focusing on renewable energy, fisheries, and digital enterprise, the partnership aims to create sustainable jobs, strengthen SMEs, and advance Somalia’s National Transformation Plan (2025–2029) and Vision 2060.