Adressing the challenge of youth unemployment in Somalia through innovation and entrepreneurship

Benadir University hosted a workshop with stakeholder discussions on how Benadir university and other key stakeholders can address the challenge of youth unemployment in Somalia through enabling innovation and entrepreneurship. The participants of the workshop were representing different institutions from academia, civil societies, private and public sector working on youth development through innovation and entrepreneurship. Innovation hubs and several youths were invited as well and participated in the workshop.

“In Somalia, unemployment and poverty force many young people to embark on unsafe journeys across deserts and seas to seek for a better life. More than 60% of young people intend to leave the country in search of better opportunities. This workshop aimed to identify key challenges, gaps, and opportunities encountering Somali youth, as well as the best ways to provide skills through innovation and entrepreneurship”, says project lead team member Rage Adem.

The rector of Benadir University Prof. Mohamed M Biday officially opened the workshop followed by a speech by the SDGCap steering committee member Prof. Fuje and project lead team coordinator Prof. Hassan Nur who both presented the objective of the workshop and why Benadir University decided to uphold this workshop.

Rage Adem, assistant coordinator made a presentation on the process and consultation that team had while visiting innovation hubs in Uganda and Somalia before the workshop. He exaplained that the team got a clear understanding of how the innovations operate and what current hubs focus on in Somalia.

Project lead team member Prof Hassan Nur gave an opening remark during the workshop.

The workshop was facilitated by Abduljalil Abdullahi, the youth expert at Benadir university. The presentation on Innovation and entrepreneurship was also presented by innovation expert of CESH Linn Tomasdotter, Tinkr, as an eye opening for the participants on the discussions during the workshop.

Throughout the workshop, the facilitator employed a mix of highly participatory methodologies that encouraged the participants to provide maximum and meaningful contribution such as participant observation, case study, group work and group presentation.

The outcome aim of this activity is linked to the outcome of the SDGCap project ‘Private Sector Actors are actively striving to positively contribute towards, implementation of the 2030 Agenda and realizing the SDGs using a multisectoral approach’.

The following were the objectives and outputs of the workshop:

Objectives

• Assess and identify the opportunities, challenges, and causes in the field of youth employment.
• Assess and identify the opportunities and gaps in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship addressing youth unemployment challenges.
• Determine gap areas where Banadir University can tap in with SDG Cap and focus areas of the anticipated youth center within Banadir university.
• Identify and mobilise relevant stakeholders and people to involve in the co-creation and testing of innovation initiatives.

Outputs

• Insight and ideation phase: Benadir University and partners have identified and selected key challenges and the gaps in the field of youth unemployment to start researching and addressing first.
• Have started the discussion on potential opportunities and interventions where innovation and entrepreneurship are a relevant tool to solve specific youth unemployment challenges.
• Have an overview of a diverse group of relevant stakeholders and people from all sectors who are interested in contributing in various ways.