MOGADISHU, Oct 8, 2025 – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday announced an urgent plan to introduce Swahili into the national curriculum of schools and universities, as part of Somalia’s broader efforts to strengthen cultural, educational and economic integration with East Africa.
The move comes nearly a year after Somalia officially joined the East African Community (EAC) in 2024.
Speaking at the 2nd East African Community Partnership Conference (EACON2025) held in Mogadishu, President Mohamud urged Somali universities to take the lead in adopting and promoting the use of Swahili, the lingua franca of the region.
“Somali National University and all institutions of higher learning must spearhead the teaching of Swahili — the language that unites the East African region,” President Mohamud said.
Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir echoed the president’s remarks, noting that the government is working closely with regional educational bodies to develop Swahili learning programs.
“We want Swahili to become a language of education, commerce, and communication. We even envision future conferences of this nature being conducted in Swahili rather than English,” said the minister.
Somalia’s newly established National Higher Education Council is also collaborating with the Inter-University Council for East Africa and the EAC’s education quality assurance frameworks to implement the initiative.
