MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has met with the 10 students who achieved the highest scores in Somalia’s national Grade 12 secondary-school examinations, praising their performance and promising government support as they pursue higher education.
The meeting, held in Mogadishu, was intended to recognize the students’ academic achievements and encourage them to continue their studies.
President Hassan Sheikh congratulated the students for their hard work, perseverance and examination results, urging them to maintain the same commitment as they move into higher education.
The president also made a pledge that could offer the students a significant opportunity: Any of the top-performing graduates who wish to continue their education at a university inside Somalia will be eligible for free higher education, according to the presidency.
The initiative is intended to encourage high-achieving students and invest in a generation that Somalia hopes will take on greater leadership responsibilities in the future.
A new university focused on technology
The president also said his government was planning to establish another public university dedicated specifically to technology and modern fields of study.
The proposed institution would expand access to higher education for Somali young people interested in technology and other emerging disciplines, while providing what the government described as high-quality educational opportunities.
The announcement comes as Somalia seeks to strengthen its education system and develop a workforce capable of supporting the country’s economic and technological development.
For a country with a predominantly young population, expanding access to higher education is closely tied to broader efforts to create skilled employment, strengthen institutions and develop sectors such as technology and digital services.
The president’s meeting with the top 10 graduates therefore carried a message extending beyond recognition of examination results: academic achievement, the government said, should translate into opportunities for young Somalis to continue their education and contribute to the country’s future.
The proposed technology-focused university would add another public institution to Somalia’s higher-education system and reflect the government’s emphasis on modern skills as it seeks to prepare young people for an increasingly digital economy.
For the students honored at the meeting, the immediate prospect is a chance to continue their studies without tuition costs inside Somalia — while the government’s longer-term ambition is to build institutions capable of producing the scientists, engineers, technology specialists and other professionals it will need.
