Mogadishu, 1 October 2024– Today, the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, officially opened the first International Conference on Investment in Agri-Value Chains, co-hosted by the European Union and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. The conference takes place from 1 to 2 October 2024, at the AIAA Hangar in Mogadishu, Somalia.

This conference aims at promoting sustainable development by attracting private sector investment from both foreign investors and Somali enterprises. The focus is on enhancing Somalia’s appeal as a destination for agricultural value chain investments and facilitating business-to-business (B2B) networking.

EU in Somalia

In his opening address, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, H.E. Mohamed Abdi Hayir (Maareeye), underscored the significance of the conference, stating, "This event represents a crucial step towards exploring potential opportunities of this virgin country and to attain our aim to feed Somalis and export food to other countries. By convening key stakeholders, we aim to establish sustainable partnerships that will drive investment in our agri-value chains, ultimately enhancing the livelihoods of our farmers and invigorating the economy of Somalia."

The European Union’s Ambassador to Somalia, Karin Johansson, remarked, “Let us seize the opportunities before us, and unlock the full potential of Somalia’s productive sectors. We are optimistic that this conference will foster new partnerships, inspire innovative ideas, and result in concrete commitments to propel Somalia’s productive sectors towards a brighter future."

The conference will result in a joint statement to summarise the discussions and agree on the way forward, as part of broader efforts to advance the agenda of agricultural development and economic growth in Somalia. It will lead to tangible outputs, such as the signature of Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation between International and Somali companies, and the launch of the EUR 9.6 million EU-UNIDO project “Food safety systems and trade facilitation across agri-food value chains in Somalia”.