Mogadishu(Kaab TV) – Somalia and the FAO are collaborating to expand youth empowerment programs, integrating initiatives like the YOU ACT project into the nation’s 2025–2029 National Transformation Plan (NTP).
These efforts aim to boost youth-led conflict resolution, digital innovation in agriculture, and entrepreneurship to create sustainable jobs, aligning with broader national food systems and security goals.
The meeting, which involved the Director General of the Ministry of Youth and Sport and FAO technical teams in Mogadishu, reviewed ongoing cooperation, specifically on the YOU ACT Project. The initiative, which operates in regions like Jowhar, empowers young people to lead conflict transformation and peacebuilding through community-led dialogue and digital innovation.
The meeting follows the Somali government’s launch of the National Transformation Plan in March 2025. The NTP serves as a five-year blueprint to shift the nation from traditional development to large-scale transformation, prioritizing social and human capital development as one of its four core pillars.
Officials stated the engagement is part of a broader effort to reposition the Ministry’s stakeholder partnerships in line with 2026 priorities. The goal is to move toward more structured cooperation that ensures youth inclusion and long-term impact on the country’s stability and economic growth.
The YOU ACT project is currently implemented by Shaqodoon Organization with support from the UN Peacebuilding Fund and joint management by FAO and International Organization for Migration (IOM). It addresses resource-based disputes and strengthens the role of young people in local governance and peacebuilding.