Message from the Director

We strongly believe that young people are the key driving force for our nation's future development. They can provide energy, initiatives, innovation, and leadership if they get appropriate guidance and support.  80% of Somaliland’s population are estimated to be younger than 40 years old. Our youth experienced one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.

Somaliland President H.E Muse Bihi Abdi has issued a presidential decree to functionalize Somaliland Youth Development fund (SLYDF) in 2020 to reduce the high burden of unemployment rate facing the young generations. The SLYDF is mandated by the presidential decree (JSL/XM/WM/222-469/02/2020) to prioritise investing in youth entrepreneurship as a critical driver for accelerated socio-economic development.

With effective cooperation and partnership with key stakeholders, SLYDF's strategic aim is to unlock youth potentiality through preparing, enabling, funding and accelerating youth empowerment programs and youth entrepreneurial venturing.

We support many youth empowerment and development initiatives: skilling, entrepreneurship, and enterprise development programs. This will create abundant opportunities for youth employment, enterprising and social innovation, which will significantly drive the national development wheel in the medium and longer terms.