Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • FG Puts Presidential Jet For Sale In Switzerland After Nigeria Acquires Airbus A330
    • Coalition: ‘It’s Entirely False,’ Borno Governor Dismisses Defection Rumour
    • NLC Threatens Nationwide Strike Over Rising Poverty, Insecurity
    • Lagos Government Confirms Eight Dead, Eight Injured In Road Accident
    • In Brazil, Tinubu Vows To Eliminate Delays, Bureaucratic Bottlenecks In Agric Sector
    • ‘I Am Reinstated By Court’, Natasha Vows To Resume Plenary Tuesday
    • MAAUN Founder, Professor Gwarzo Bags Prestigious Thabo Mbeki Leadership Award At Global African Conference
    • FBI Moves To Arrest Lagos ‘Big Boy’ Over N460m Trump Inauguration Crypto Deal
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    NEWS POINT NIGERIANEWS POINT NIGERIA
    UBA 720X90
    • HOME
    • NEWS

      FG Puts Presidential Jet For Sale In Switzerland After Nigeria Acquires Airbus A330

      July 6, 2025

      Coalition: ‘It’s Entirely False,’ Borno Governor Dismisses Defection Rumour

      July 6, 2025

      NLC Threatens Nationwide Strike Over Rising Poverty, Insecurity

      July 6, 2025

      Lagos Government Confirms Eight Dead, Eight Injured In Road Accident

      July 6, 2025

      In Brazil, Tinubu Vows To Eliminate Delays, Bureaucratic Bottlenecks In Agric Sector

      July 6, 2025
    • COLUMN

      Don’t Kill Yourself Because He’s Cheating – By Funke Egbemode

      July 6, 2025

      Opposition Coalition: New Wine In Old Wineskins? – By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah

      July 5, 2025

      Danger Of The Single Story (DSS) – By Azu Ishiekwene

      July 3, 2025

      PDP: A Party On Death-Bed – By Kazeem Akintunde

      June 30, 2025

      Fear And Fragility: How Safe Are Nigerians? – By Dr Dakuku Peterside

      June 30, 2025
    • EDUCATION

      13 Countries Offering Free Or Low-Cost PhD Programmes For Non-Citizens

      January 25, 2025

      NECO: Abia, Imo Top Performing States In Two Years, Katsina, Zamfara Come Last

      October 3, 2024

      NBTE Accredits 17 Programmes At Federal Polytechnic Kabo

      August 20, 2024

      15 Most Expensive Universities In Nigeria

      May 19, 2024

      FULL LIST: Tinubu Appoints Former SGF Yayale, Ex-Governor Yuguda, Muhammad Abacha, Jega In Universities’ Governing Councils

      May 18, 2024
    • INTERNATIONAL

      Israel Sending Negotiating Team To Qatar For Gaza Ceasefire Talks

      July 6, 2025

      Texas Flood Kills 24 As Rescuers Search For Children Missing From Girls’ Camp

      July 6, 2025

      UN Says 613 Gaza Killings Recorded At Aid Sites, Near Humanitarian Convoys

      July 5, 2025

      Dozens Feared Hurt In Fuel Station Blast Across Rome

      July 5, 2025

      Israel Kills More Than 300 In Gaza In 48 Hours As Focus Intensifies On GHF

      July 3, 2025
    • JUDICIARY

      FULL LIST: Judicial Council Recommends Appointment Of 11 Supreme Court Justices

      December 6, 2023

      Supreme Court: Judicial Council Screens 22 Nominees, Candidates Face DSS, Others

      November 29, 2023

      FULL LIST: Judicial Commission Nominates 22 Justices For Elevation To Supreme Court

      November 16, 2023

      Seven Key Issues Resolved By Seven Supreme Court Judges

      October 26, 2023

      FULL LIST: CJN To Swear In Falana’s Wife, 57 Others As SANs November 27

      October 12, 2023
    • POLITICS

      What Peter Obi May Lose If He Joins Coalition As VP Candidate

      May 25, 2025

      Atiku Moves To Unseat Wike’s Damagum As PDP Chairman, Backs Suswam As Replacement

      April 15, 2024

      Edo’s Senator Matthew Uroghide, Others Defect To APC

      April 13, 2024

      Finally, Wike Opens Up On Rift With Peter Odili

      April 2, 2024

      El-Rufa’i’s Debt Burden: APC Suspends Women Leader For Criticising Kaduna Gov

      March 31, 2024
    • SPORTS

      Best Of African Women’s Football On Display As WAFCON Kicks Off

      July 6, 2025

      Mbappe Scores As Real Madrid Beat Dortmund To Set-Up PSG Semi-Final

      July 6, 2025

      Super Eagles’ Captain, Ahmed Musa Named General Manager Of Kano Pillars

      July 5, 2025

      Rashford, Garnacho, Sancho, Two Others Inform Man United Of Exit

      July 5, 2025

      Kaduna SDP Chieftain, Bashir Zakariya Dies In Auto Crash

      July 3, 2025
    • MORE
      • AFRICA
      • ANALYSIS
      • BUSINESS
      • ENTERTAINMENT
      • FEATURED
      • LENS SPEAK
      • INFO – TECH
      • INTERVIEW
      • NIGERIA DECIDES
      • OPINION
      • Personality Profile
      • Picture of the month
      • Science
      • Special Project
      • Videos
      • Weekend Sports
    NEWS POINT NIGERIANEWS POINT NIGERIA
    UBA 720X90
    Home - The Mogadishu Women At The Centre Of Somalia’s Construction Boom

    The Mogadishu Women At The Centre Of Somalia’s Construction Boom

    By EditorJune 16, 2025
    Somalia Construction Women

    CONSTRUCTION is booming in Somalia’s capital city and as Mogadishu literally rises from the ashes of its violent past it is also giving unexpected opportunities to women like Fathi Mohamed Abdi and Saadia Ahmed Omar.

    The two young female engineers have been overseeing the construction of a 10-floor apartment complex in Taleh in the city’s Hodan District.

    Wearing hard hats they navigate their way through construction material, issuing instructions to a team of workers – all of whom are men.

    UBA

    “When I started, people doubted me,” 24-year-old Ms Abdi, the chief operating officer of Arkan Engineering Services, a Somali-owned construction company, tells the BBC.

    “They would ask, ‘How can we trust a house built by a woman? How can I trust my money and property with a young female engineer?'”

    WIDGET ADS

    She and her colleague Ms Omar have been practising engineers for the last five years.

    “Mogadishu needs us,” says Ms Omar, who is also 24. “When I was young, this city was in chaos. Now, we are part of its reconstruction.”

    Thomas Sankara African Leadership Prize

    Somalia, a former Italian colony, has experienced a prolonged period of civil war after the government of President Siad Barre collapsed in January 1991.

    Even now, scars of decades of war are still visible – like in the central district of Shangani where there are bombed-out buildings. But the ruins are becoming hidden or replaced by tall office complexes and apartments, and a skyline dotted with cranes and scaffolding.

    Nigerian TAX Reform - Federal Goverment

    Both young women were born during the civil war and grew up witnessing their country fragmenting. While many Somalis chose to leave, they stayed, driven by a passion to rebuild, despite the fact that an insurgency was being waged by al-Shabab, a group linked to al-Qaeda.

    “I think part of the reason women are getting more chances in this field is because there’s so much work to do, and not enough professionals to do it. That creates space for us,” Ms Omar says.

    Ibrahim Abdi Heyle, chairman of the Somali Engineers Association, agrees the high demand for skilled professionals is leading to change – even if slowly in Somalia’s traditionally male-dominated society.

    National Orientation Agency Page UP
    National Orientation Agency - Down

    “With numerous ongoing infrastructure, energy, and technology projects, the workload has significantly increased. As a result, the association actively encourages greater participation from women, emphasising that they are not only welcomed but also vital in filling critical gaps in the workforce,” the 34-year-old says.

    “The association believes that empowering women in engineering not only helps meet the growing demand but also brings diverse perspectives and innovative solutions to the industry.”

    According to the office of the mayor of Mogadishu, over the last five years, more than 6,000 buildings have been constructed, marking a significant change in the city’s landscape.

    “Security in Mogadishu has improved, leading to an increase in high-rise and commercial buildings,” says Salah Hassan Omar, the mayor’s spokesperson.

    Nonetheless it has not been an easy path for Ms Abdi and Ms Omar as only 5% of engineers are women – and they often find opportunities for mentorship are scarce.

    “When I applied for internships, most companies rejected me,” Ms Omar recalls. “They didn’t think a woman could handle the physical demands of engineering. I searched for three months before someone finally gave me a chance.”

    Today, the two are among the most recognised female engineers in Mogadishu, having overseen more than 30 multimillion-dollar projects.

    “The city is now home to taller buildings and modern infrastructure, a stark contrast to the Mogadishu of the past,” Ms Abdi says proudly.

    Construction Somalia Women
    Share. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn Telegram Email

    Related Posts

    Mali Coup Leader, Assimi Goïta Granted Five-Year Term In Power

    July 6, 2025

    Akon’s Futuristic $6bn City Project In Senegal Abandoned, BBC Told

    July 6, 2025

    Burkina Faso Junta Bans, Suspends Foreign NGOs, Associations

    July 5, 2025

    Namibia Halts All State Funerals Amid Criticism Of High Cost

    July 5, 2025
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Latest Posts

    FG Puts Presidential Jet For Sale In Switzerland After Nigeria Acquires Airbus A330

    July 6, 2025

    Coalition: ‘It’s Entirely False,’ Borno Governor Dismisses Defection Rumour

    July 6, 2025

    NLC Threatens Nationwide Strike Over Rising Poverty, Insecurity

    July 6, 2025

    Lagos Government Confirms Eight Dead, Eight Injured In Road Accident

    July 6, 2025

    In Brazil, Tinubu Vows To Eliminate Delays, Bureaucratic Bottlenecks In Agric Sector

    July 6, 2025
    Advertisement
    WIDGET ADS
    News Point NG
    © 2025 NEWS POINT NIGERIA Developed by ENGRMKS & CO.
    • Home
    • About us
    • Disclaimer
    • Our Advert Rates
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Join Us On WhatsApp