Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Ghana-Nigeria Foreign Ministers To Address Tensions In Accra Over ‘Nigeria Must Go’ Protests
    • TETFund Suspends Foreign Scholarships Over Forex Woes, Absconding Scholars
    • NNPCL Drills Four Oil Wells In Kolmani, Bauchi
    • Tinubu Appoints Governing Council For Ogoni University
    • How Troops Foiled Boko Haram’s Plot To Plant Big Bombs On Borno Bridge
    • Port Harcourt Refinery Not For Sale – NNPCL
    • Strike: Labour Minister Urges Nurses To Embrace Dialogue As Talks Continue Friday
    • FG Appoints Olumode Adeyemi As New Controller-General For Fire Service
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    NEWS POINT NIGERIANEWS POINT NIGERIA
    UBA 720X90
    • HOME
    • NEWS

      Ghana-Nigeria Foreign Ministers To Address Tensions In Accra Over ‘Nigeria Must Go’ Protests

      July 30, 2025

      TETFund Suspends Foreign Scholarships Over Forex Woes, Absconding Scholars

      July 30, 2025

      NNPCL Drills Four Oil Wells In Kolmani, Bauchi

      July 30, 2025

      Tinubu Appoints Governing Council For Ogoni University

      July 30, 2025

      How Troops Foiled Boko Haram’s Plot To Plant Big Bombs On Borno Bridge

      July 30, 2025
    • COLUMN

      Buhari: May Our Subsequent Leaders Die At Home (2) – By Dr Hassan Gimba

      July 28, 2025

      New Wave Of Malnutrition And The Road To 2027 – By Dr Dakuku Peterside

      July 28, 2025

      Dignifying The Nigeria Police – By Kazeem Akintunde

      July 28, 2025

      Land Grab: Why UniAbuja Needs Presidential Protection (Part 2) – By Martins Oloja

      July 28, 2025

      Don’t Ship Them Off: Holidays Are Not Escape Routes – By Hafsat Salisu Kabara

      July 28, 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

      Gaza On ‘Brink Of Full-Scale Famine’ As Israel Blocks Crucial Aid

      July 30, 2025

      Inmates, Pregnant Woman Among 27 Killed In Russia’s Attacks On Ukraine

      July 30, 2025

      Israel Kills More Than 80 In Gaza As Outrage Over Hunger Crisis Grows

      July 29, 2025

      Turkey Battles Wildfires Amid Strong Winds, Heatwave, Over 3500 Evacuated

      July 29, 2025

      62 Killed In Gaza As Israel’s ‘Tactical Pause’ Comes To An End

      July 28, 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

      Remo Stars Begin NPFL Title Defence Against Rivers United, Abia Warriors Host Pillars

      July 30, 2025

      Burna Boy Thrills Coach Wiegman, England’s Lionesses At Women’s Euro Victory Party

      July 30, 2025

      ‘You Need To Win World Cup,’ Remi Tinubu Charges Super Falcons

      July 29, 2025

      Oshoala Dismisses Retirement Rumour, Says ‘I’m Still Here’

      July 29, 2025

      Victorious Super Falcons Arrive In Abuja From Morocco

      July 28, 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

    83-Year-Old Cote d’Ivoire President, Ouattara To Seek Fourth Term

    July 30, 2025

    Hundreds Of Arrests During Deadly Angola Fuel Protests

    July 30, 2025

    Ghana Deploys Troops To Burkina Border After Students Killing

    July 29, 2025

    Ex-Mali Prime Minister, Choguel Maïga Under Probe Over Alleged Misuse Of Public Funds

    July 29, 2025
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Latest Posts

    Ghana-Nigeria Foreign Ministers To Address Tensions In Accra Over ‘Nigeria Must Go’ Protests

    July 30, 2025

    TETFund Suspends Foreign Scholarships Over Forex Woes, Absconding Scholars

    July 30, 2025

    NNPCL Drills Four Oil Wells In Kolmani, Bauchi

    July 30, 2025

    Tinubu Appoints Governing Council For Ogoni University

    July 30, 2025

    How Troops Foiled Boko Haram’s Plot To Plant Big Bombs On Borno Bridge

    July 30, 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