Federal government: ministries and agencies
National Communications Authority of Somalia (NCA): what it does
The National Communications Authority is Somalia's telecoms and internet regulator, set up by the Communications Act of 2017. It licenses phone, internet and broadcast operators, manages radio spectrum, protects consumers and runs SOMCIRT, the national cyber incident team launched in March 2026. Mustafa Yasin Sheikh has been Director General since November 2022.
What it does
The NCA "was established through the Communications Act of 2017 and its mandate is to regulate the Communications sector including telecommunications, Internet, broadcasting, Information, and Communications Technology, eCommerce services" (NCA, History). Its stated duties are to develop the sector, ensure "fair and sustainable competition" and interconnection between networks, protect consumers, and act as an independent regulator (same source). In practice:
- Licences: telecom, internet and broadcasting companies need an NCA licence.
- Spectrum: it assigns radio frequencies. Spectrum fees raised US$5.2 million for the federal budget in 2025 (Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted).
- Cybersecurity: it is the lead cybersecurity regulator. Since the June 2026 national framework, operators of critical information infrastructure must send it a yearly risk assessment (TechAfrica News, 21 July 2026).
- SOMCIRT: the Somalia Computer Incident Response Team runs inside the NCA. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre opened it on 7 March 2026. It receives reports of cyber incidents, issues alerts and coordinates responses; anyone can report at somcirt.gov.so (NCA, March 2026).
Who leads it
Mustafa Yasin Sheikh has been Director General since 19 November 2022. The NCA says he was earlier its Deputy Director General and a board member, ran the Somalia Network Information Centre (SONIC), the registry for .so internet addresses, from 2018 to 2021, and was a senior policy adviser at the Ministry of Communications in 2017 and 2018 (NCA, Director General).
The money
The federal budget lists the NCA as the "Somali National Telecommunications Authority" (Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted):
| Line | 2025 actual (US$) | 2026 budget (US$) | 2027 proposed (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Communications Authority | 707,383 | 841,644 | 824,004 |
The sector it regulates
Somalia's networks are run by private companies, including Hormuud, Somtel, Golis and Telesom, and mobile money is used across the country. Somaliland has its own regulator. See Telecoms, Who connects Somalia and Phones and internet in numbers.
How to use it
- Complaints about a phone or internet company: the NCA's mandate covers consumer protection; its site lists how to contact it (NCA).
- Cyber incidents: report to SOMCIRT at somcirt.gov.so (NCA).
Its legal basis
The Communications Act of 2017 (NCA, History). It sits under the Ministry of Communications and Technology.
Sources
- NCA, History · nca.gov.so
- Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted · mof.gov.so
- TechAfrica News, 21 July 2026 · techafricanews.com
- NCA, March 2026 · mail.nca.gov.so
- NCA, Director General · nca.gov.so
- NCA · nca.gov.so
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Where this matters
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- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
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