Federal government: ministries and agencies
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Somalia: what it does
Somalia's federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs sets labour law and work permits, runs vocational training, and runs Baxnaano, the national cash safety net paid for mainly by the World Bank. Prof. Salim Aliyow Ibrow has been minister since October 2025. Its budget rises to a proposed US$77.1 million in 2027.
What it does
The ministry's site says it "is mandated to provide policy direction and guidance on all labour administration and vocational training matters" and "to protect and develop the labour force" (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs). Its main areas of work:
- Labour law: it drafts labour laws and rules on working conditions, and aims "to continually modernize labour legislation with the aim of increasing employment" (MoLSA).
- Work permits: foreign workers pay a work-permit charge, which raised US$2.69 million in 2025 (Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted).
- Skills: it runs technical and vocational training, including the Skills for Employability, Inclusion and Productivity project funded by the African Development Bank (MoLSA; same Appropriation Act).
- Social protection: it runs Baxnaano, which pays regular unconditional cash to poor and vulnerable households, and other "social transfers for vulnerable people" (MoLSA). See Baxnaano: Somalia's safety net.
- Civil service: in 2026 it worked with the National Civil Service Commission on merit-based hiring (Dawan Africa).
Who leads it
Prof. Salim Aliyow Ibrow was appointed minister by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on 27 October 2025, replacing Yusuf Mohamed Adan (AllAfrica, October 2025; Dawan Africa). The ministry's site says he was born in Qoryoley District in 1944, is a veterinary scientist, served as acting Prime Minister in 2007, and earlier held the portfolios of justice and religious affairs, energy and water, livestock, finance and higher education (MoLSA, The Minister).
The money
From the federal budget (Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted):
| Line | 2025 actual (US$) | 2026 budget (US$) | 2027 proposed (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs | 31,535,531 | 73,156,934 | 77,079,444 |
Most of it is the World Bank's social protection money. The project "Building Opportunities and Outcomes in Social Protection and Youth Employment in Somalia", which carries Baxnaano's second phase, is budgeted at US$66.5 million for 2026 and US$70.8 million for 2027. The earlier Shock-Responsive Social Safety Net project brought in US$28.0 million in 2025 and has ended (same source).
What it reports doing
- Baxnaano phase 2: launched in May 2025 to widen cash support and add youth employment (SONNA).
- Reviews with partners: the minister chaired a Baxnaano review meeting with the World Bank in Nairobi (SONNA) and met WFP on social protection in March 2026 (AllAfrica, March 2026).
- Coordination: it convenes a social protection coordination meeting of government and partners in Mogadishu (SONNA).
- Regional jobs: the minister presented a regional employment strategy at an ILO meeting in Cairo (SONNA).
Other records on its work
- The Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) publicly welcomed the dismissal of an earlier labour minister, saying the minister had disregarded workers' rights (FESTU).
- For jobs and pay, see Jobs in Somalia and Government jobs and pay.
Its legal basis
The ministry's mandate from the Council of Ministers under the 2012 Provisional Constitution, as amended in 2024 and 2026.
Sources
- Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs · molsa.gov.so
- MoLSA · molsa.gov.so
- Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted · mof.gov.so
- Dawan Africa · dawan.africa
- AllAfrica, October 2025 · allafrica.com
- Dawan Africa · dawan.africa
- MoLSA, The Minister · molsa.gov.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- AllAfrica, March 2026 · allafrica.com
- SONNA · sonna.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- FESTU · festu.org
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Where this matters
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