International youth Day 2026: Celebrating the Next Generation
On the occasion of International Youth Day 2026, I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate and recognise the remarkable creativity, dedication, and potential of Somaliland’s young architecture students, particularly those graduating from the College of Engineering, Computing & ICT at the University of Hargeisa. As a Senior Lecturer and mentor, I have had the privilege of observing the determination of these young professionals as they developed their knowledge and skills throughout their academic journey. Their graduation projects are more than academic requirements; they represent ideas, aspirations, and possible solutions to some of the challenges facing Somaliland’s built environment. Among the projects that particularly impressed me during the University of Hargeisa Research Week are the Sustainable Eco-Luxury Mountain Resort in Gacan-Libaax, developed by a research team led by Hilal H. Abdilahi, and the Modern Hargeisa Football Stadium, developed by a research team led by Sagal M. Abokor. These two projects deserve recognition not only for their architectural creativity but also for their potential relevance to national development.
- A proud Moment for the University of Hargeisa and Somaliland’s Youth
I am truly honored to be part of Research Week 2026 at the University of Hargeisa, serving as a Senior Research Supervisor in the College of Engineering and Computing & IT, in the graduate Architecture Students’ graduation projects research week, held on 14th 16th July 2026. The event was a powerful demonstration of what young Somalilanders can accomplish when they are given an environment in which creativity, research, innovation, and professional development are encouraged. Over approximately five years of academic preparation, these students have worked through architectural design, construction principles, urban planning, environmental considerations, technology, research, and other areas of professional education. Their final projects demonstrate an important transition from learning established knowledge to applying that knowledge to real-world problems. For me, this is one of the most valuable outcomes of architectural education: seeing students transform theoretical knowledge into visions for the future of their communities.
3. Sustainable Eco-Luxury Mountain Resort in Gacan-Libaax Research Team Led by Hilal H. Abdilahi
The Sustainable Eco-Luxury Mountain Resort in Gacan-Libaax, developed by the Research Team Led by Hilal H. Abdilahi, is an inspiring example of how young architects can connect design with Somaliland’s natural environment, tourism opportunities, sustainability, and economic development. The concept demonstrates the possibility of developing tourism infrastructure that respects the landscape while providing a high-quality visitor experience. A carefully planned eco-luxury resort could incorporate climate-responsive architecture, renewable energy, efficient water systems, sustainable waste management, environmentally sensitive landscaping, locally appropriate materials, and spaces reflecting Somaliland’s cultural identity. Beyond the physical development itself, such a project could potentially generate employment, stimulate local businesses, support tourism services, and create opportunities for communities surrounding Gacan-Libaax. The students should therefore be proud that their academic work has opened a conversation about how architecture can contribute to sustainable tourism and regional economic development.
4. From Architectural Concept to Sustainable Tourism Destination
The Gacan-Libaax project also presents an opportunity to explore a broader development question: Can Somaliland create tourism destinations that combine environmental responsibility, cultural identity, economic opportunity, and modern architectural standards? The answer requires more than a beautiful architectural proposal. The concept would need to be supported by detailed feasibility investigations, including tourism-market analysis, site and topographical studies, environmental and social assessment, water availability, energy planning, access infrastructure, preliminary engineering, construction cost estimation, investment analysis, risk assessment, and an appropriate operation and management model. The research team led by Hilal H. Abdilahi should therefore be encouraged to continue developing their project beyond graduation. With appropriate mentorship and professional support, their university concept could become the foundation for a more comprehensive tourism-development proposal that could eventually be presented to government institutions, investors, development partners, and the private hospitality sector.
5. A Vision for a Modern Hargeisa Football Stadium Research Team Led by Sagal M. Abokor
The second project that deserves special recognition is the Modern Hargeisa Football Stadium, developed by a research team led by Sagal M. Abokor. This project responds to another important dimension of Somaliland’s development: the need for modern sports and youth infrastructure. A contemporary football stadium should not be understood merely as a football field with spectator stands. It can become a multifunctional sports and community complex incorporating training facilities, athletics, youth development spaces, medical and emergency services, media and broadcasting facilities, commercial areas, public gathering spaces, parking, and other facilities that can support sporting and community events. Hargeisa’s growing population and large youth demographic make investment in appropriate sports infrastructure increasingly important. Sagal M. Abokor’s project therefore represents more than an architectural design; it represents a vision of how architecture can create opportunities for young people to participate in sport, develop talent, build teamwork, and contribute positively to society.
From Graduation Projects to Fundable Development Initiatives
- The next Challenge: Turning Ideas into Implementation
The presentation of these two projects raises an important question: How can outstanding student projects move from architectural drawings and university exhibitions toward practical implementation? This is where the transition from academic achievement to professional development begins. A strong architectural concept is an essential starting point, but government institutions, investors, development partners, and financial institutions require additional information before supporting a project. I therefore encourage both the research teams led by Hilal H. Abdilahi and Sagal M. Abokor to regard their graduation projects as living professional documents that can continue to evolve. Each project should, where appropriate, be developed into a structured project-development package containing refined architectural designs, preliminary engineering assessments, cost estimates, implementation schedules, feasibility studies, environmental and social considerations, risk assessments, potential revenue models, operation and maintenance strategies, and clearly defined development outcomes.
7. Potential Funding and Partnerships for Gacan-Libaax
For the Sustainable Eco-Luxury Mountain Resort in Gacan-Libaax, there are several potential financing and partnership models that could be explored. These may include private-sector investment, tourism-sector partnerships, public-private partnerships, diaspora investment, impact investment, hospitality operators, development-finance institutions, environmental and climate-related financing, and strategic investment partnerships. The Ministry of Trade and Tourism of the Republic of Somaliland could have an important role in evaluating the project’s tourism potential, supporting investment promotion, coordinating relevant government institutions, and helping identify potential investors. A phased development strategy could also be considered, beginning with feasibility studies, essential access and utility infrastructure, environmentally sensitive accommodation, and core tourism facilities before expanding into a larger destination. Such an approach could reduce financial risk while allowing the project to grow according to demonstrated market demand.
8. Potential Funding and Partnerships for the Hargeisa Stadium
The Modern Hargeisa Football Stadium could similarly be developed through a diversified financing strategy. Government investment could potentially be complemented by private-sector participation, corporate sponsorship, diaspora investment, sports-development programmes, development partners, and appropriate commercial partnerships. The stadium could potentially incorporate legitimate revenue-generating components such as training programmes, sporting events, commercial facilities, advertising, conferences, exhibitions, hospitality services, and other compatible activities. This would help move the concept away from viewing the stadium purely as a public expenditure and toward considering it as a long-term national sports asset that requires sustainable financing, management, maintenance, and revenue generation. The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Somaliland could take a leading role in examining the project’s strategic value, conducting or commissioning feasibility studies, identifying potential partners, and assessing how the concept could fit within broader national youth and sports development priorities.
9. The Role of Government, Universities and Development Partners
The successful transformation of these projects will require collaboration between universities, government ministries, private investors, professional institutions, communities, and development partners. The University of Hargeisa can play a particularly important role by identifying outstanding student projects and establishing mechanisms through which promising concepts can receive continued mentorship and technical development after graduation. Government ministries can identify projects aligned with national priorities, while private investors can contribute capital, market expertise, construction experience, and management capacity. Development partners can potentially support feasibility studies, institutional development, youth programmes, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and capacity building. Such collaboration would establish a stronger bridge between academic research and national development and demonstrate that universities can function not only as centres of education but also as centres of innovation and problem-solving.
10. Establishing a Student Innovation-to-Investment Pipeline
I strongly recommend consideration of a Student Innovation-to-Investment Programme within the University of Hargeisa and potentially across Somaliland’s higher education institutions. Under such a mechanism, outstanding final-year projects could be evaluated according to their national relevance, innovation, technical feasibility, sustainability, social impact, economic potential, and investment readiness. Selected projects could receive additional technical review, professional mentorship, feasibility-study support, business-development assistance, and opportunities to present their concepts to relevant government institutions and investors. The Gacan Libaax project by the Hilal H. Abdilahi Team and the Hargeisa Football Stadium by Sagal M. Abokor could provide excellent pilot examples of this approach. Such an initiative would send a powerful message to Somaliland’s youth: your university research matters; your ideas matter; and your creativity can contribute directly to the development of your country.
A Message of Encouragement to Somaliland’s Future Architects and Engineers
- Your graduation Is Not the End—It Is the Beginning
To the graduating architecture students, I would like to emphasise one important message: your graduation is not the end of your journey; it is the beginning of your professional responsibility. The knowledge you have gained over the past five years provides you with a foundation, but your greatest professional learning will continue throughout your careers. Your final projects demonstrate your ability to investigate challenges, develop concepts, communicate ideas, and imagine alternative futures. Continue developing these abilities. Seek professional criticism, learn from experienced architects and engineers, engage with communities, understand construction realities, study emerging technologies, and remain committed to ethical and sustainable practice. Never underestimate an idea simply because it began as a student project. With determination, evidence, collaboration, and professional development, an academic concept can become the starting point for a real project.
12. Design for Somaliland’s Real Needs
I encourage you to become architects who understand Somaliland’s realities and design solutions that respond to them. Our cities and communities face challenges related to rapid urbanisation, infrastructure limitations, water scarcity, climate variability, housing, transportation, public spaces, waste management, environmental protection, disaster risks, and preservation of cultural identity. These challenges require architects who can combine global knowledge with local understanding. Future architecture in Somaliland should be sustainable, resilient, inclusive, culturally responsive, economically realistic, technologically informed, and environmentally responsible. The Gacan-Libaax resort illustrates how architecture can connect tourism, nature, culture, and sustainability, while the Hargeisa Football Stadium illustrates how architecture can connect sport, youth development, recreation, public life, and national aspiration. These projects demonstrate the kind of problem-oriented thinking that Somaliland needs from its next generation of professionals.
13. Become Architects, Researchers, Entrepreneurs and Leaders
The architecture profession is evolving rapidly, and I encourage our graduates to develop capabilities beyond conventional architectural design. Learn project management, construction management, cost planning, contract administration, Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital design, environmental assessment, climate-resilient construction, urban planning, research, entrepreneurship, investment planning, and public policy. Learn to communicate effectively not only with architects but also with engineers, contractors, government officials, investors, communities, and development partners. The architects who will make the greatest contribution to Somaliland will be those capable of connecting design with implementation, research with policy, sustainability with economics, and creativity with measurable social impact. Your generation has an opportunity to establish a new professional culture in which architecture is understood not simply as designing buildings, but as solving problems, creating opportunities, protecting the environment, and generating lasting value for society.
14. A Call to Government, Institutions and the Private Sector
On this International Youth Day 2026, I call upon the Government of Somaliland, relevant ministries, local authorities, universities, professional associations, private investors, development partners, and the Somaliland diaspora to create stronger pathways through which young professionals can contribute to national development. Outstanding student projects should not simply be displayed during Research Week or graduation exhibitions and then disappear into university archives. Promising ideas should be identified, documented, reviewed, mentored, and, where appropriate, transformed into feasibility studies and investment proposals. The Ministry of Trade and Tourism could explore the potential of the Gacan-Libaax eco-luxury tourism concept, while the Ministry of Youth and Sports could examine the potential of the Modern Hargeisa Football Stadium. By connecting student innovation with institutional priorities and investment opportunities, Somaliland can turn its young people’s creativity into tangible development outcomes.
15. Congratulations to the Research Team Led by Hilal H. Abdilahi and the Research Team Led by Sagal M. Abokor and the Graduating Class of 2026
Finally, I would like to congratulate the research team led by Hilal H. Abdilahi and the research team led by Sagal M. Abokor, and all graduating architecture students for their dedication, creativity, perseverance, and achievements. I wholeheartedly support your efforts and encourage you to continue striving for professional excellence. As a Senior Lecturer, mentor, and Somaliland-based Infrastructure Analyst specialising in the Horn of Africa, I see immense potential in the creativity and innovation of our young architects, engineers, planners, and researchers. Do not allow your graduation projects to remain only on drawing boards. Develop them, improve them, defend them, seek partnerships, pursue funding, and work toward implementation. Your journey does not end with graduation; it begins with the opportunity to shape the future of Somaliland. May the Sustainable Eco-Luxury Mountain Resort in Gacan-Libaax and the Modern Hargeisa Football Stadium become reminders that a student’s idea can start a national conversation and, with the right support, potentially become a real contribution to society. Congratulations to the graduating architects of the University of Hargeisa, and Happy International Youth Day 2026!
Eng. Mouktar Yusuf Ali
Infrastructure Analyst –Somaliland Specialist in Regional Development and Infrastructure in the Horn of Africa – Senior Lecturer Engineering