The National Economic Council, Federal Republic of Somalia organized a two-day Centennial Vision 2060 Phase 3 inception workshop on 21st and 22nd July at the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.
The workshop also served as the transition from the second phase to the third phase of the Centennial Vision 2060 document preparations thus witnessing the launch of CV2060 Phase 2 assessment report which was a product of overwhelming contributions from experts, government institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders.
The assessment report’s findings and recommendations serve as a foundational resource for Somalia’s ongoing Centennial Vision 2060 (CV2060) initiative, guiding policymakers and the Somali populace in their efforts to contribute meaningfully to Somalia’s journey from fragility to resilience.
In summary, this report presents a comprehensive analysis of Somalia’s current challenges and opportunities spanning governance, human capital, infrastructure, private sector development, and regional integration accompanied by recommendations.
The assessment report further gives the readers valuable insights into Somalia’s economic resilience amid persistent adversities such as conflict, environmental hazards, and global economic fluctuations.
Over 100 participants from the Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Member States, development partners including United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), UNCT, the World Bank, civil society organizations (CSOs), the private sector, the media, academia, and research institutions attended the forum.
Also in attendance during the forum were senior officials from the Federal Government of Somalia led by Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, Abdihakim Yusuf, and the Director General of the Ministry of Planning, Investment, and Economic Development (MOPIED), Mr. Mohamed Shire.
The dignitaries during the forum also included representatives from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, led by Mama Keita, Director for East Africa Region, IOM and Stella Ilieva, Acting World Bank Country Manager, who attended the meeting virtually.
Chief Economic Advisor and Executive Director of the National Economic Council, Hassan Adam Hosow delivered the keynote address during the forum where he was also joined by members of the National Economic Advisory Council including Mohamed Osman, Maluka Abdulkadir, Kamaludin Sheikh, Nimo Mohamud, and Mahad Mohamed.
CEA/ED Hosow highlighted the milestones of the Vision 2060 document preparation process since its launch by H.E President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and the progress from completion of Phase 1 and 2 until the inception of the final phase. He acknowledged the contributions from all stakeholders as well as the expert contributions, which remain crucial to its fruition.
The two-day workshop, witnessed a total of Nine (9) presentations from the NEC advisory council, NEC Fellows, development experts and Senior economists.
The forum included plenary Inter-Cluster discussions which dissected the ideal Somalia as envisioned in 2060 by the respective sectors as well as their needs towards accomplishing the vision.
Key Discussions
During the meeting, the National Economic Council delivered comprehensive presentations on the inception and progress of the Centennial Vision including an overview of CV2060, Stakeholder Engagement Roadmap, also delivering the completed tasks and outlining the forthcoming phases of the initiative.
Key Action Points from the Workshop:
- Participants lauded the visionary efforts of H.E President Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, which kickstarted the Somalia Centennial Vision 2060 blueprint preparations in his address to the nation on 1st January, 2023.
- Participants unequivocally emphasized the significance of the visionary Somalia Centennial Vision 2060 pledging their support and collaboration due to Somalia’s huge potential.
- The stakeholders commended the National Economic Council for capturing Somalia’s current economic landscape through a simplified and in-depth diagnosis of various areas, including governance, human capital development, the productive sector, infrastructure, trade, regional integration and private sector-led growth.
- The workshop underscored the urgency of accelerating preparations for the remaining phase of the Centennial Vision and urged all relevant stakeholders to collaborate with NEC-led initiatives related to the CV 2060.
- The workshop affirmed its readiness to actively participate in the preparation of phase 3 the and gradual implementation of Centennial Vision 2060.
- The workshop expressed gratitude to the National Economic Council for organizing an informative, engaging, and productive event.
- The Workshop acknowledged NEC’s inclusive and stakeholder engagement approach in all its vision 2060 document preparation efforts and expressed optimism on its success.
- The workshop endorsed the findings of the assessment report and called for increased efforts to utilise existing national opportunities to address challenges such as youth unemployment.
- The workshop called for the development of an increased sense of ownership of the CV 2060 development efforts by the Somali public to complement the widescale efforts of the government and international development partners in all the entire processes such as validation, and implementation.
- The workshop concurred with the National Economic Council’s findings which highlighted the youthful Somali population as a crucial national asset towards the journey of achieving Vision 2060.
- The workshop noted that all sectors; public and private sectors, and stakeholders remain crucial to the realization of Somalia’s CV 2060 thus calling for close collaboration that will drive the nation’s development and prosperity.
Conclusion
The workshop, which marks a significant milestone in Somalia’s journey towards achieving the ambitious goals set out in the Centennial Vision 2060, ended successfully during the second and final day, whereby Chief Economic advisor and Executive Director of the National Economic Council Hassan Adam Hosow, concluded the productive workshop by expressing heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the NEC.
He appreciated the participants, Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Finance, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the Central Bank of Somalia; terming their support through data inputs, comments, and validation as instrumental to the successful conclusion of the workshop.
CEA/ED Hosow further acknowledged the invaluable technical inputs from the World Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, all the experts and stakeholders for their pivotal contributions to the workshop, and the reports.
ENDS
