# Ministry of Youth and Sports of Somalia: what it does

> What Somalia's federal youth and sports ministry does: youth policy, the National Youth Council, sport and the 2026 to 2030 Youth, Peace and Security plan; who leads it; its budget 2025 to 2027; and what it reports doing.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/ministry-of-youth-and-sports/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## What it does

The ministry is the federal body for youth and sport. Its work, as reported:

- **Youth, peace and security:** on 21 September 2026 the government endorsed a five-year National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security for 2026 to 2030, with an indicative cost of **US$56 million**. Its six pillars are youth in governance and peace processes; protection and security; empowerment and livelihoods; conflict prevention, climate and resilience; institutional partnerships; and disengagement and reintegration. The minister signed its foreword ([Dawan Africa, 22 September 2026](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-endorses-dollar56-million-youth-peace-and-security-plan-for-2026-2030)). It was launched in Mogadishu on 28 October 2026 ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-launches-youth-peace-and-security-action-plan-2026-2030)).
- **Jobs and skills:** in August 2026 the minister announced a joint programme with the labour ministry to give jobs and training to 28,000 young people ([Dawan Africa, August 2026](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-to-provide-jobs-and-training-for-28000-youths-minister-says)).
- **National Youth Council:** in July 2026 the minister said the ministry was preparing a policy for the council's leaders to be elected rather than appointed by the President ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-plans-elections-for-national-youth-council-minister-says)). He denied that the removal of the council's chairman was linked to the chairman's criticism of the government ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-minister-denies-youth-council-chairmans-removal-was-linked-to-government-criticism)).
- **Sport:** it oversees national sports bodies. The minister called for a legal review of the framework of the Somali Olympic Committee ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-sports-minister-calls-for-legal-review-of-olympic-committee-framework)), and the government suspended the committee's leaders, citing misconduct ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-suspends-olympic-committee-leaders-over-misconduct)). The minister has said the national football team relies more and more on players from the diaspora ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-national-team-increasingly-reliant-on-diaspora-players-minister-says)).
- **States:** it convenes the youth and sports ministers of the member states ([SONNA](https://sonna.so/en/somalia-convenes-national-consultative-meeting-of-youth-and-sports-federal-ministers/)).

## Who leads it

**Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali**, a former footballer, became minister in May 2025; the Somali Football Federation welcomed his appointment ([Inside World Football, 7 May 2025](https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2025/05/07/somali-fa-welcomes-former-footballer-new-head-sports-ministry/)). He took over from Mohamed Barre in a handover overseen by the second Deputy Prime Minister ([SONNA](https://sonna.so/en/second-deputy-prime-minister-oversees-handover-at-ministry-of-youth-and-sports)).

## The money

From the federal budget ([Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted](https://mof.gov.so/storage/documents/2026/11/xihvtskp/Appropriation%20Act%20for%202027%20Submitted%20to%20Parlement.pdf)):

| Line | 2025 actual (US$) | 2026 budget (US$) | 2027 proposed (US$) |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| Ministry of Youth and Sport | 1,077,754 | 1,234,276 | 1,258,936 |

The youth plan's US$56 million is far more than the ministry's own budget; the report on the plan names no funding source ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somalia-endorses-dollar56-million-youth-peace-and-security-plan-for-2026-2030)). Larger youth job programmes sit in other budgets, such as the World Bank social protection and youth employment project under the [Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs](/en/institutions/ministry-of-labour-and-social-affairs/).

## Other records

Somalia's referee [Omar Artan](/en/people/omar-artan/) was unable to take part in the 2026 World Cup after a US entry setback ([AllAfrica, June 2026](https://allafrica.com/stories/202606090556.html)). For young Somalis and work, see [Jobs in Somalia](/en/economy/jobs-in-somalia/).

## Its legal basis

The ministry's mandate from the Council of Ministers under the 2012 Provisional Constitution, as amended in 2024 and 2026.

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