Friday August 1, 2025
"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success’’, this quote by Henry Ford, the renowned American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company, summarizes the core of collaboration. To me his words represents the pillars of regional integration, emphasizing that it takes vision, endurance, and cooperation. In the same sense, Somalia's inclusion in the East African Community (EAC) is not merely a diplomatic breakthrough, but also a bold step toward a borderless future for the region. To starts a narrative of new beginnings, where boundaries are transformed into bridges, and diverse histories are united into one destiny. It should be a chance to transform the lives of the common people, especially the young people. It brings together more than 300 million people and creates one of the largest trading blocs in Africa, whose power lies in its young population.
More than 70 percent of the Somalia’s population is below 30 years, a demographic pattern replicated in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Congo, Burundi and South Sudan. If empowered through education, employment and global exposure these youths will drive development, innovation, and peace but without any support they will fall into poverty, or lead political instability. I believe a well-established framework facilitates this free movement of skilled and unskilled labor giving room for Somali youths to contribute their expertise to Nairobi's tech or engineering sector and vice-versa. The exclusion of Somalia from Kenya’s travel reforms undermines the principle of regional integration and is a lost opportunity for mutual economic and labor development. This selective enforcement contradicts EAC’s equal treatment principal and also stifles potential gains from labor mobility between the two nations. A Somali –Kenya labor integration would boost sectors like cross-border trade, construction, and small enterprises. This lengthy Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) delays and restricted border access for Somalia promotes marginalization and slows down mutual growth that the EAC was meant to promote.
Within the East African Community (EAC), youth are struggling due to high unemployment, limited access to finance, skills mismatches, and constrained labor mobility. Take unemployment for instance in Somalia, the rate of unemployment among youths is assessed to be above 67 percent, one of the highest in the world (ILO, 2023), In Burundi the World Bank estimates unemployment at over 41 percent. In Kenya, often referred as the regional economic hub, more 1.2 million young people are unemployed.
I think the main cause of all this is the disconnect between education systems and labor market demands. In 2021, the African Development Bank suggested that more than half of the African university graduates would not fit into their local labor markets, a key issue to long term productivity. Furthermore, young people have been locked out of jobs across the borders due to barriers to labor mobility, which include visa restrictions, absence of mutual recognition of credentials, language and bureaucracy. Sadly, the dream of a dignified work, access to opportunities and A voice in shaping their future is the aspiration of all youths whether in Mogadishu or Kampala, Bujumbura or Goma. That is why labor integration must move beyond the promised free movement as stipulated in the EAC Treaty. It ought to become a working, comprehensive and implementable agenda that benefits the common citizens.
Taking a leaf from the EU’s greatest achievement, The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) which harmonized education and training qualifications across the EU’s 27 member states would open doors for real labor mobility and economic empowerment. Adopting this similar framework would involve Setting up of a Skills Recognition Body at the EAC Secretariat, development of a digital and portable system of certification that is connected to national training bodies, standardization of TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) programs across member states and the introducing of a ‘skills passports’ to verify credentials and job experience. The effect would be significant: a trained, qualified Garowe, Somalia, electrician would be able to travel to Kigali, Rwanda or Nairobi, Kenya and work without starting over or being rejected due to a ‘non-recognized certification’
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the lifeblood of our communities and the backbone of economies throughout the East African Community (EAC). In Kenya, for instance, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, SMEs contribute around 33% to the GDP and create more than 7.4 million jobs. Tanzania tells a similar story, with over 95% of businesses being SMEs, employing upwards of 5 million people. Here in Somalia, where formal job opportunities are scarce, SMEs serve as the only dependable source of income, supporting families, strengthening local food supply chain and encouraging innovation through mobile money, e-commerce, and agritech platforms. They however face a lot of challenges such as limited access to credit, as banks often demand collateral that many SMEs simply cannot provide, and poor infrastructure and insecurity which drive up operating costs and restrict market access.
To progress, the EAC can borrow from the European Union where SMEs are the main drivers of economic growth. Through programs such as COSME and the European Investment Fund the EU offers guarantees, equity financing, and micro-loan to start-ups and companies in a growth stage. They also have Digitalization Grants and special incentives that help these small firms take digital tools and become more productive. Such initiatives are not mere bureaucratic devices, but strategic and help small businesses to become the enablers of creativity, job-makers, and community resilience.
Furthermore, the EAC should include youth representatives and civil society in regional gatherings, summits and regional labor councils so that programs reflect the realities on the ground not just boardrooms discussions. There must also be deliberate investments in Digital upskilling, entrepreneurship programs, Cross-border job-matching platforms and youth funding by regional development banks. East African youth do not lack ideas, they lack capital, platform and a policy environment to bring the ideas to market. In Somalia, where the formal sector employment still feels like a mirage, the clearest path to prosperity and peace is to transform SMEs into drivers of growth. Thriving small business equals employment, resilient families, and more stable economies.
Going forward, The EAC must move forward with a clear vision, urgency, and inclusivity to create an environment, in which youth-led SMEs can, not only survive but thrive beyond borders building a brighter future for the region.
Mr Sadik, Consultant in international relations, governance and labor, is a Former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and also served as Member of Federal Parliament for Mudug Constituency, Somalia.
Mr Sadik, Consultant in international relations, governance and labor, is a Former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and also served as Member of Federal Parliament for Mudug Constituency, Somalia.