It's not really surprising that there wasn't really any significant learning centers in the rest of the horn, as Islam wasn't allowed to get a firm foot on the ground due to constant genocidal persecutions by the Christians. I mean look at how much was undone , all the towns and mosques Somalis built and the conversions that took place during the conquest of Abyssinian and all that remains are a few families that can trace their descent to Somali clans.
They built many towns and mosques
Just to add this last one:
When Somalis conquered the highlands , they were seen as liberators by the populations living there: As the Portuguese stationed there noted: Ethiopians pretty much hated their monarch and their lords oppressed them
This oppression pretty much continued into 19th century and i believe it relates to the issue today as well.
Their dirgo army groups would move throughout the highlands and sexually assault the villagers and steal from them and ruin their dwellings. Almedia gives an account on this:
@Midas it makes me wonder how much more free, prosperous and progressive the whole horn would have been if the Portuguese didn't get involved and the Muslims maintained control of the highlands.
And i feel like it would have rid people of ethnic/religious differences and people would have come under one collective cultural identity rooted in Islam.
Also much more would have been preserved in the process.