LocationsSnapshot of key initiatives promoting innovation and digital transformation in Somalia in 2025
Driving digital transformation in Somalia: 2025 highlights
May 13, 2026
Somalia’s first digital ID system
Somalia, with technical support of UNDP, has established an advanced Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) through its national identity system — the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), demonstrating how innovative approaches to digital identity can deliver transformational impact in fragile contexts while laying foundations for modern state-building.
The national ID system establishes a fundamental social contract between the state and its citizens formalizing civic relationships, enabling democratic participation, and providing the identity infrastructure essential for financial inclusion and service access.
A young lady has her biometric fingerprints taken at the Baidoa National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) for her first National ID on 18 December 2025.
UNDP Photo / Ilyas Ahmed
In 2025, UNDP Somalia supported national efforts to accelerate digital transformation, strengthen data-driven decision making, and unlock innovative financing for sustainable development. Working closely with government institutions, the private sector, and partners, these initiatives helped enhance digital readiness, expand opportunities for youth and women in the digital economy, improve national data and statistical systems, and mobilize investments aligned with Somalia’s development priorities. Featured here are some of the key initiatives and achievements.
The 'Hubiye eKYC' platform formalized through Somalia’s first eKYC legislation in December 2024 serves 1.2 million citizens with real-time identity verification across 25 integrated services including the entire commercial banking sector. Innovation in inclusion design achieved 47.3% women’s enrollment, surpassing regional benchmarks, while cost-efficient mobile registration models reached 38,026 displaced persons within a month at less than USD 1 per registration.
The DPI infrastructure generated an estimated USD 4.2 million in annual savings by eliminating costs citizens previously incurred obtaining multiple documents for different services, with a single verified digital identity now enabling seamless access across government and private sector platforms.
“Somalia now has a proven model — demand is high, operational reforms are working, and enrolment is accelerating. But without new resources, the momentum cannot be sustained,” says NIRA Somalia Director General Mr. Abdiwali Ali Abdulle. NIRA has estimated a funding gap of $14million for scaling up the ID registration programme in 2026.
Somalia Conflict Navigator, a digital Peace Technology
The Somalia Conflict Navigator is one of the new digital tools developed by UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation (MOIFAR) to better understand and respond to conflicts in time in Somalia. The system enables real-time mapping of active conflicts across the country through standardized data collection on conflict actors, drivers, impacts, and dynamics, combining field-based profiling with geospatial visualization and multi-source data triangulation.
Built with offline-first mobile architecture, the platform allows field teams to collect conflict data on tablets and smartphones in remote areas with limited connectivity, automatically synchronizing when connection is restored ensuring geographic and digital divides do not exclude marginalized communities from the peace process.
By shifting from fragmented reporting to structured digital intelligence accessible through role-based dashboards and interactive maps with privacy-protecting geo-fuzzing, the platform equips government and partners to identify emerging risks, prioritize interventions, and strengthen evidence-based peacebuilding. This initiative demonstrates how digital innovation can serve as a critical enabler of conflict prevention, stabilization planning, and responsive governance in fragile contexts.
The Conflict Navigator Dashboard
SDG INVESTOR MAP TO UNLOCK PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT
Somalia in 2025 launched the process of developing its first SDG Investor Map, an innovative market intelligence tool that translates development needs into tangible investment opportunities. Expected to be launched in 2026, the Map will help transform the nation’s economic landscape by shifting its focus from aid dependence to investment-led growth. Developed by the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (MoPIED), in partnership with UNDP, the SDG Investor Map will help translate national priorities into specific, bankable Investment Opportunity Areas (IOAs). Aligned with the National Transformation Plan (NTP) 2025–2029, the map identifies high-potential sectors — including agriculture, energy, fishing, infrastructure, and banking — where private capital can drive sustainable development and help achieve the SDGs.
“The investor map is the first of its kind initiative in Somalia. It is expected to strengthen cooperation between the private sector, the government, and its partners. It will also help improve the relationship between them and explore ways to grow the national economy. We want to encourage Somali entrepreneurs across all sectors to expand their efforts and increase their contribution,” says Mohamed Shire, Director General, Ministry of Planning, Investment, and Economic Development (MOPIED).
Somalia offers strong investment potential across multiple sectors—from its 3,300 km coastline supporting fisheries development to its abundant sunshine, making it ideal for solar energy.
Photo: UNDP Somalia
SOMALIA SDG TRACKER FOR SMARTER DECISIONS
Somalia has significantly improved its capacity to track and report progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, achieving a marked progress in data coverage from 41.7% to 70.2% by developing an integrated SDG tracker with UNDP support. Working through the Somali National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS), this initiative enabled the country to now report on 153 out of 218 applicable indicators across all 17 SDGs, providing policymakers and stakeholders with reliable, accessible data for the first time.
According to SNBS Director General Dr. Abdisalam Abdirahman Mohamed, Somalia has significantly expanded the scope, quality, and timeliness of statistical production, delivering surveys, censuses, and administrative data reports across key development sectors. “Key outputs, including the Household Budget Survey, the Business Establishment Census, the National Consumer Price Index, the Food Security and Vulnerability Survey, and the Socioeconomic and Demographic Survey, alongside governance, gender, environmental, energy, and multidimensional poverty statistics, are strengthening Somalia’s national evidence base for policy, planning, and investment decisions,” says Abdirahman.
These collective efforts, he says, have resulted in increased data availability, positioning the country to deliver a stronger and more analytical second Voluntary National Review at the High-Level Political Forum.
“The expanding statistical system directly supports implementation and monitoring of the National Transformation Plan, ensuring that national priorities are guided by credible, timely, and disaggregated data. This progress underscores the critical role of SNBS in reducing data fragmentation and ensuring that nationally representative data, produced by Somalis for Somalis, drives decision-making, accountability, and sustainable development outcomes,” says SNBS Director General Abdirahman.
For the first time, Somalia has successfully introduced advanced Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling as a core tool for national economic planning, with 22 government economists and technical advisors now trained to lead this effort. This marks a foundational shift from reliance on international consultants toward homegrown analytical capacity. The newly formed cohort of specialists — drawn from the Federal Government of Somalia, Somaliland, and Puntland — is being equipped with the technical expertise to be able in 2026 to build, calibrate, and run complex simulations that model the economy-wide effects of policy decisions.
This homegrown capacity is expected to fundamentally transform how Somalia formulates its economic policies. For the first time, policymakers will be able to rigorously assess the potential economy-wide impacts of fiscal reforms, trade adjustments, and public investments before implementation, significantly reducing the risk of unintended consequences. The trained officials are now positioned to lead the development of Somalia’s first nationally-owned CGE model in 2026, directly contributing to more resilient, evidence-based, and sustainable economic growth strategies across the country.
“When we design policies, we need to understand their impact across different sectors. Often, without evidence, you can craft a good policy but miss the wider implications. That’s why we approached UNDP to partner on evidencebased policymaking using the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model,” says Yasmine Ahmed, Senior Climate Finance Adviser to the Minister of Finance. “The CGE model allows us to see the whole picture. For example, if we increase taxes, how will that affect other sectors? It uses available data to project long-term outcomes. Even fragile states with limited data have used this model effectively. It’s not a perfect system, but it gives us a starting point.”
Mini-Grid Digital Strategy to power energy sector growth
In a major step toward energy sector transformation, Somalia, with technical support from UNDP, successfully developed its first-ever Mini-Grid Digital Strategy. The strategy was shaped by findings from Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA), carried out with the support of UNDP’s Chief Digital Office, which revealed a striking reality: despite Somalia having one of the most advanced mobile money penetration rates in the world, its energy sector remains trapped in analog operations, severely limiting progress toward universal electrification. The assessment exposed how the absence of centralized data, real-time monitoring, and digital payment integration undermines mini-grid viability, keeping costs high, and excluding underserved communities.
Responding to these gaps, the strategy calls for a national energy database, IoT-enabled smart meters, and AI-powered geospatial tools to forecast demand in the context of rapid urbanization and population mobility.
This matters profoundly to Somalia because it moves beyond simply installing hardware; it builds a resilient, data-driven energy ecosystem that harnesses the country’s own digital strengths, ensuring that expanded electricity access is not only sustainable but also inclusive, transparent, and adaptable to Somalia’s unique social and economic realities.
DISPLACEMENT DATA TO IMPROVE ACCOUNTABILITY
UNDP supported the development of Data for Solutions Toolkit to strengthen Somalia’s capacity to generate, harmonize, and use displacement data through providing a harmonized framework for measuring progress against durable solutions for IDPs in Somalia. The Data for Solutions Toolkit, expected to be published in mid 2026 by the Government, will be hosted by the National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions (NCRDS) under the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation (MoIFAR).
“The data solutions toolkit has strengthened the way we plan, measure, and report on durable solutions. The toolkit brings together key components such as the monitoring and evaluation framework, context analysis, and a capacity building package. The M&E framework is central to the national action plan and includes population level indicators that allow us to integrate internally displaced people into national statistics,” says Zakariye Harbi Ahmed, Financing Strategy Advisor, National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions.
“It also provides outcome level indicators to measure behavioral change and assess the impact of different interventions that support durable solutions. In addition, the toolkit includes practical tools to train government and partner staff, strengthen reporting systems, and track progress toward the target of reaching one million IDPs. It gives us clear guidance on how to monitor activities and measure results effectively.”
From top to bottom: members of the technical working group discuss the Data for Solutions Toolkit in Mogadishu (first two photos); stalls and winners at the Somaliland Tech Expo in Hargeisa (third and fourth photos); and young innovators showcasing their inventions at the 6th Leadership Innovation Summit in Mogadishu (last two photos).
BUILDING DIGITAL CAPACITY
New tools require new set of capabilities. Besides supporting development of innovative tools, in 2025, UNDP invested deeply in the human and structural foundations that make innovation sustainable. From diagnosing the nation’s digital readiness to equipping youth with future-ready skills, these enabling initiatives help develop and empower local talent to take charge of the process of innovation and digitization, and no Somali is left behind in the digital transformation. Some of the key initiatives are:
- Digital Readiness Assessment: UNDP in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Technology (MoCT) conducted a comprehensive Digital Readiness Assessment (expected to be released in 2026) mapping Somalia’s digital landscape across connectivity, regulation, government, and public infrastructure. This diagnostic work provides the evidence base for prioritized digital interventions, ensuring that every innovation is built on solid ground.
- Youth Digital Skills Training: In partnership with the Ministry of Communication and Technology, 80 young Somalis received training in cybersecurity, data analysis, digital marketing, and online business. These graduates now form a growing talent pipeline capable of driving Somalia’s digital economy forward.
- Safe Digital Spaces Workshop: Digitization must be safe to be sustainable. During 16 days of activism against GBV, UNDP partnered with SIMAD iLab and Empower Rise Hub to equip 20 Somali women with knowledge and tools to protect themselves and others from digital violence. True innovation leaves no one vulnerable.
- Tech expo and innovation competition in Somaliland: UNDP, in collaboration with the Somaliland Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, supported the organization of a national Tech Expo and innovation competition that convened over 2,000 youth from 190 colleges and campuses in Somaliland. The event showcased emerging digital talent and culminated in three winning innovations developed by university teams. From Amoud University, students presented an AI-powered Somali tutoring application designed to support high school learning. Participants from Golis University developed a platform and hardware solution to map, hire, and assign technicians such as plumbers and electricians. Meanwhile, students from the University of Hargeisa created a personal digital health scanning tool to enhance health and safety awareness.
- 6th Leadership and Innovation Summit: UNDP co-sponsored the 2025 Leadership and Innovation Summit, convened under the patronage of H.E. the President of Somalia. Bringing together 2,050 participants — including 50+ youth-led startups, major investors, and national leadership — the summit generated unprecedented momentum and tangible commitments to harness Somali youth as the primary architects of the country’s future.
Moving ahead, UNDP will continue to support and create environments and systems that drive innovation. In 2026, priority initiatives include expanding Somalia’s digital identity integration across 12 key government and financial services, scaling the SDG Investor Map to unlock private sector investment, operationalizing the Mini-Grid Digital Strategy to accelerate energy access, and deploying the Somalia Conflict Navigator for real-time conflict prevention. These efforts will build new capabilities to develop and apply digital solutions that enhance the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of development outcomes across Somalia.
“What we are witnessing in Somalia is the emergence of a new orientation on how we do development. From the country’s first digital ID system that rebuilds the social contract, to a conflict navigator that informs peacebuilding efforts, Somalis are today making the best use of innovative and digital technologies. These are helping bridge the digital divide. While many of these initiatives are still at a small scale, they are going to help the country move to a future where technology and data play a central role in addressing most of the development challenges. This is how sustainable development truly takes root,” says Dr. Christopher Laker, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Somalia.
The initiatives presented here among the key ones supported by UNDP in Somalia. This is not an exhaustive list of interventions supported by UNDP in Somalia. Read more about UNDP’s work in Somalia: www.undp.org/somalia
