Damascus is getting a new metro line

[Idilinaa]

Good for them but that is a 2 billion dollar investment they are getting from the Saudis. Foreign investment for infrastructure in Somalia is basically non-existent, Somalis have to do almost everything themselves.

That said, Syria is a much bigger shitshow than Somalia since they have Turkish and Israeli armed forced in the country, I can't see that country recovering faster than Somalia any time soon due to that.

People really underestimate how impressive it is that Somalis are building infrastructure mostly with their own resources. Could Syria, for example, finance something like the Garacad port on their own? Highly doubtful.

Most road projects in Somalia are funded through local mechanisms like property taxes or contributions from businesses. They’re prioritized based on actual community needs , not top down donor plans:

She says: "Road constructions in Mogadishu is initiated by a committee that includes business people, religious scholars and civil society officials. This committee determines which roads need to be built based on community needs. Local business men are responsible for 50% of the funding. Property owners whose lands abuts the roads under construction contribute 15% with their share proportionate to their properties proximity to the road. The Banadir regional administration contributes the remaining 35%"


These are the kinds of grassroots projects being done , connecting neighborhoods, upgrading drainage systems, etc.

They're building nonstop just to keep up with the rapid pace of urban growth. Here's something from just 3 days ago:

Mogadishu Launches Major Road Project to Boost City Connectivity – Goobjoog English

en.goobjoog.com

Even the Mogadishu–Afgooye highway which Qatar helped fund , shows how partnerships still lean on local direction:

Asphalt-paving work begins on Mogadishu-Afgoye road

Qatar, represented by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), continues to support development projects in Somalia with the start of asphalt-paving work on the Mogadishu-Afgoye road.

hiiraan.com

Hargeisa, for example, completed 21 roads in just 17 months:

Somaliland: Hargeisa municipality has completed 21 roads within 17 months - SomalilandCurrent.com

By M.A. Egge The initiative of the Mayor of the capital city of Hargeisa Cllr. Abdikarim Ahmed Mooge and the efforts exerted by the town hall are unprecedented as far as infrastructure is concerned. Their palpable services are felt and are largescale beyond the historic road works. The local...

www.somalilandcurrent.com

And Puntland’s Highway Authority has ongoing and completed roadworks well documented:

Ongoing Projects - PHA

Ongoing Projects Bursaalax-Galkacyo road Construction • On going Projects, Projects Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Xajikhayr-Dalsan Road • On going Projects, Projects Routine Maintenance and other rehabilitation works from Galkacyo to Bosaso, and Garowe to Laascaanod • On going Projects...

pha.pl.so

To be honest, I think Somalis are in a much better position long-term. Relying on local capacity instead of chasing foreign investment keeps development tied to real economic activity. Otherwise, you just end up with debt, loss of ownership, and flashy vanity projects that don’t serve people on the ground.

Somalia, in my view, is seeing more meaningful development than many African countries because it’s decentralized and driven by local needs. Basic services like housing, water, electricity, telecom expansion, agriculture/market and small business growth are being prioritized before flashy infrastructure.

We’ve already seen how those billion dollar foreign funded mega-projects turned out in Kenya and Ethiopia , debt ridden with minimal benefit to the people they were supposed to serve:

They borrowed 4.5 billion dollars to finance it from China back in 2018

Chinese investments in Africa go off the rails

Beijing signals new approach as concern grows over misguided ‘vanity projects’

www.ft.com

It bleeds money and doesn't contribute to any economic growth. It's pretty much seen as a 'Vanity Project'' by the Chinese themselves.

Today. Hardly anyone can afford to use it and most of the train are left crumbling, empty and desolate .

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-12/addis-ababa-ethiopia-metro-s-decline-shows-china-s-step-back-from-africa

 

[Idilinaa]

To be honest, I think Somalis are in a much better position long-term. Relying on local capacity instead of chasing foreign investment keeps development tied to real economic activity. Otherwise, you just end up with debt, loss of ownership, and flashy vanity projects that don’t serve people on the ground.

Somalia, in my view, is seeing more meaningful development than many African countries because it’s decentralized and driven by local needs. Basic services like housing, water, electricity, telecom expansion, agriculture/market and small business growth are being prioritized before flashy infrastructure.

We’ve already seen how those billion dollar foreign funded mega-projects turned out in Kenya and Ethiopia , debt ridden with minimal benefit to the people they were supposed to serve:

You can see what i say is true in the complaints by Ethiopians under this video:

And this person is right:

Anyways, I’m not gonna waste too much energy on comparisons once I log off from here.


It makes more sense to focus on highlighting and documenting the progress Somalis are making across regions and to push real, tangible solutions that can improve things further. Especially strengthening public-private partnerships and diaspora-homeland collaboration. There’s a massive pool of untapped potential in both the private sector and the diaspora that could seriously accelerate development if it’s organized and channeled properly.

With that said… I’m out.

 

[Zak12]

here’s a massive pool of untapped potential in both the private sector and the diaspora that could seriously accelerate development if it’s organized and channeled properly.

The country will definitely be in a different place 10 years from now if that is realized. Its really great knowing all the business and economy is mainly in the hands of local Somalis instead of the government, that makes a huge difference. While issues like corruption are still a problem, that will be sorted out once the country becomes properly developed.

 

[Idilinaa]

The country will definitely be in a different place 10 years from now if that is realized. Its really great knowing all the business and economy is mainly in the hands of local Somalis instead of the government, that makes a huge difference. While issues like corruption are still a problem, that will be sorted out once the country becomes properly developed.

It also means Somalia’s economic growth is actually real and organic , rooted in local ownership and not artificially propped up by aid or overhyped foreign investment. That alone separates us from the typical post-colonial development model you see across most of Africa. Corruption in the public sector doesn’t bleed into the private one, and that’s a big deal. In fact, Somalia’s actual GDP is massively underreported , people still quote outdated or just plain wrong figures about different sectors.

That local-rootedness gives Somalia an edge. Just look at what critics are saying about places like Zambia:
''Noor believes the country is trapped in a development model that prioritizes international approval and foreign investment over national ownership and human dignity."

Zambia's 6% GDP Growth Is Economic Theatre—Pan-African Advocate Warns of IMF-Led Illusion

The Zambian government is celebrating a projected 6% GDP growth in 2025, a figure that has drawn praise from global media and institutions

tell.ng

Corruption iyo that constant in-fighting in the public sector will probably go down big time now that foreign donors are stepping back. Barkhadle actually showed me a study privately that backed this , it basically said foreign aid was one of the main drivers of corruption. When that money dries up, the incentive to fight over it dies too. That vacuum gives real stakeholders (private sector, diaspora, locals) room to step in and fill the gap properly.

Anyways, I’ll go deeper into this later elsewhere when I sign off. Just wanted to drop that here real quick.

 

[Zak12]

showed me a study privately that backed this , it basically said foreign aid was one of the main drivers of corruption

If you can could you share that study? I'd like to read it

 

[Barkhadle1520]

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[Nur_]

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[Barkhadle1520]

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[tyrannicalmanager]

The same Syria having a civil war on the other side of the country. Same Syria were Israel bombed the city centre last week. where the new puppet regime is no different to the puppet of Iraq. A new glitzy trains won’t solve this countries issues over night.

Axistard

 

[Idilinaa]

If you can could you share that study? I'd like to read it

I'll DM it to you. It's a solid study that really debunks perceptions that Somalia’s economy is dependent on foreign aid. What it shows and what a lot of people miss, is that the Somali economy is mostly self-reliant and locally driven. Aid isn't what’s fueling growth, it’s actually community-level investment, business networks, and diaspora capital. That’s the part that doesn’t get enough attention

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

In that 21 roads completion link I shared earlier, what really shocked some people was just how much internal capital exists in the city that could be mobilized for development.

They even installed traffic lights at major road junctions:

Somaliland: Mayor of Hargeisa inaugurates city traffic lights installation - SomalilandCurrent.com

The Mayor of Hargeisa Cllr. Abdikarim Ahmed Mooge, inaugurated the first phase of direly needed installations of traffic lights in major busy street junctions, on the road connecting the CID headquarters, the first bridge and the lower market. Mayor Abdikarim likewise announced that a review...

www.somalilandcurrent.com

What’s often overlooked is how much of this infrastructure is actually being built through community fundraising.

One of the reports I read explains the culture of community and private sector financing for roads. A couple of years back, one of the main bottlenecks was lack of proper equipment, so they purchased upgraded machinery from China to speed up delivery. It goes on to talk about how the government, private sector and the community travel across the diaspora and local communities to raise substantial development funds.

The same 2019 report notes that 60% of Somalis who send remittances are also active investors across sectors: business, education, water supply, real estate, and infrastructure.

You always see people throw at Somalis in comment sections "Why don’t they invest in Somalia instead?" even some out of touch Somalis themselves repeat that line, totally unaware of how the country actually functions. The truth is, they are investing, just not in the flashy, IMF-approved vanity projects people expect. They're pumping large amounts of their hard-earned income directly into local development.

I had a guy argue with me that Somalis invest more in Eastleigh than Somalia itself. Completely false. That’s just Somalis abroad creating opportunities for themselves ''where they live''. If anything, money made abroad is what gets funneled back to fund factories, hospitals, schools, roads, water systems, energy and entire sectors inside Somalia.

I’ll save the rest of my research for elsewhere. But this alone shows you: the Somali diaspora and local private sector have ''immense potential''. If that energy were properly coordinated and organized, we could easily raise and allocate many billions for national development