What's with Nigerians obssession with Somalia

Gacmeey

Madaxweynaha Qurbo Joogta 🇸🇴
Somalia has never been in 'total anarchy.' It has functioning regional governments that actually run their territories.

Remittances make up only about 2% of Somalia’s economy , the real driver is domestic production and trade. The regional government earns most of its revenue by taxing trade, not handouts.

Somalia isn’t sustained by foreign aid either; it’s sustained by its private sector and strong local/internal governance.

The reason Somalia keeps going despite constant outside interference that birthed AS among other things , is because it’s not run by hopeless defeatist losers like you. It’s powered by the resilience of its people, who are forward thinkers, who have revived every sector , energy, industry, trade and logistics, agriculture, fisheries, business, education, healthcare without billions in loans or foreign investments or donor money that other countries receive.

What exposes you and Nigerians or others as losers is that while you badmouth Somalia with tired, useless perceptions, Somalis are out there actually building and getting things done.

In less than a decade, we’ve expanded electricity access by 80%, internet coverage by 89%, clean water to 77% of the poppulation , boosted agriculture through micro-irrigation and micro-financing, grown industries, and increased fisheries production by 400%., expanded literacy to 70% of youth population (15-30). Somalia having one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

The point of a government is to deliver services, safeguard, and improve the quality of life for its people and in Somalia, there’s plenty of that happening.
2% of an economy is massive particularly when it is support from diaspora.
 

Idilinaa

Retired
VIP
Theres no way its only 10% nomads left

This is from region wide government survey. Most Somalis have become urbanized live in mostly towns & cities and more have became agriculturalists and fishermen. So fully nomadic/pastoralist's Somalis are a minority.

Most urban peoples income come from wage labour or through small businesses. More rural people turned to fishing and agriculture as a sources of income.


2% of an economy is massive particularly when it is support from diaspora.

The idea that Somalia is massively supported by handouts from its diaspora is outdated. People keep repeating figures from 2012 or earlier numbers tied to the aftermath of the 2007–2009 invasion and occupation. That period saw the economy collapse, sanctions imposed, bank freezes, and fund seizures.

During those years, many Somalis were forced to rely on the diaspora more than they normally would. This changed after the return of the diaspora, foreign direct investment (FDI), and the resumption of domestic production following the establishment of a new transitional federal government in 2012.


According to a UN/World Bank study, in 2017/18 remittances accounted for only 6% of mobile money transaction value.
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Mobile money represents over 90% of all transfers in Somalia, valued at about $2.7 billion per month , roughly 36% of GDP. That means remittances are around 2% of the economy
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That's because from 2012 their importance fell dramatically:

''However experts acknowledged that the role of MTO in the economy has been declining since 2012 due to the return of many Somali Diasporas , and increase in the production of the domestic economy as result of new investments from both foreign investors and Somalis.''
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You can see this in another 2020 survey . Remittances played a very small role for most peoples incomes. It's only like a small portion like 3-14% of their income in most places so by and large when its received its treated as a supplemental income.

Households mostly relied on wage labor or small businesses.
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Overall only 8% of rural and urban population counted on remittances as their main source of income.

26% of rural households rely on agriculture and fishing and 16% rely on small businesses.
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Most diaspora money coming in isn't remittances at all. It Is direct investments into various sectors as this survey from a few years ago managed to find and distinguish.
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The diaspora for years now have functioned more like FDI(investors) in actuality and not a lifeline keeping people afloat.

Thanks to their return and investments, about 92% of Somalis support themselves through wage labor, business, agriculture, or fishing. The majority of the population is economically active and self-sustaining.


If Somalia’s real GDP is closer to $90 billion , as mobile money estimates from 2018 suggest that captured the informal activity, then the 1.4 billion remittances are only a small fraction of the economy.
 
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Idilinaa

Retired
VIP
Most diaspora money coming in isn't remittances at all. It Is direct investments into various sectors as this survey from a few years ago managed to find and distinguish.
View attachment 370192

The diaspora for years now have functioned more like FDI(investors) in actuality and not a lifeline keeping people afloat.
Thanks to their return and investments, about 92% of Somalis support themselves through wage labor, business, agriculture, or fishing. The majority of the population is economically active and self-sustaining.


If Somalia’s real GDP is closer to $90 billion , as mobile money estimates from 2018 suggest that captured the informal activity, then the 1.4 billion remittances are only a small fraction of the economy.

I’m sure Barkhadle would be pleased to know about this too . Somaliland hosts an annual industrial products expo showcasing “Made in Somaliland” goods.
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The industry chairman even stated clearly that the main drivers of the manufacturing sector are diaspora returnees.
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There are countless examples showing how the diaspora are active investors, creating local economic growth and generating jobs across Somali territories. This should encourage more people to return, contribute, and invest.



I’m currently mapping out the various industries and production happening in Somalia and there’s a lot happening.
 
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Idilinaa

Retired
VIP
Because we are so failed, so people are using us as the minimum bar to compare with on failure.

Failed people? You mean the same “failed” people whose domestic companies are rebuilding the country and winning global awards?



You can also look up the “Global Somali Awards” you’ll find countless examples of ventures, individuals, and businesses in Somalia achieving success.

Somalis are succeeding at home. Instead of seeking foreign approval, you should take interest in what’s actually being built.

The only real failures are the people who, instead of contributing or offering support, deride their own people and ignore the strides being made.
 
The SNA will yes but luckily they still have multiple partners even if the U.S will be rolling back on aid.
I doubt some ragtag local militia will be able to take on AS. Unless you think Turkey and China will offer significant military support.
They are Somali, and I’ve written extensively about what both the regional governments and the private sector are doing to support them and what more can be done. I'm hoping that with the national plan made by the government they are given new employment and proper housing real soon.

But IDPs don’t reflect how the general population lives. Before displacement, they lived under similar conditions as everyone else, so collapsing them into the national statistics creates a misleading picture of Somalia. That’s why I disregard figures that fail to separate them from the general population.

Displacement caused by floods or conflict isn’t the result of Somalia’s economy failing, a lack of service delivery, or a shortage of food or money. The issue is access and that access is disrupted when people are forced to leave their homes.

The data from 2020 shows the gap clearly: nearly all urban residents across Somalia’s regions have access to piped water and electricity, yet these rates are much lower among IDPs..
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It also shows that, in both rural and urban areas, IDPs have far less access to services compared to the general population:
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I also don't agree with the misuse of MPI. As i have explained before:




The high access to health care has to with the expansion of medical services and education by private actors. Barkhadle made a thread on the advancements Somalis made in this regard:

This is further proof that Somalia is making major strides in rebuilding its institutions, expanding services, and developing key sectors. We are not content with simply ranking above other African countries the goal is to make major leaps that place us on par with the developed world. Ambitious, transformative development plans are already underway to push progress even further.
You would think that the UN would take those simple variables into account w/MPI... In any case, the report goes over the criteria and your concerns:
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External shock mitigation is the duty of the govt. How long do we have to hear about a drought crisis, floods and conflicts before something is done about it? Any functioning government would construct trenches, implement rainwater reuse measure and water desalination when you're constantly plagued with this issue. Droughts are only going to get worse, you either move with the times or get left behind - other countries realize this: https://www.iwmi.org/news/tunisia-j...ate-of-the-art-drought-management-technology/

Remittance is ~15% of Somalia's GDP but declining - a combination of the local economy rebounding but the diaspora also being broke! https://www.cbc.ca/news/climate/somalia-climate-crisis-remittances-1.6778232
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Lol, you seem to think critiquing Somalia's current position makes you a loser. Id argue that keeping the blinders on and only focusing on the slight positives will keep you in mediocrity which is much worse.
 

Idilinaa

Retired
VIP
I doubt some ragtag local militia will be able to take on AS. Unless you think Turkey and China will offer significant military support.

Remember, Al-Shabaab is also a loosely organized militia. It’s their unconventional tactics that give them an edge, which is why they’re relatively well-matched against the Ma’awisley

You would think that the UN would take those simple variables into account w/MPI... In any case, the report goes over the criteria and your concerns:
View attachment 370209

External shock mitigation is the duty of the govt. How long do we have to hear about a drought crisis, floods and conflicts before something is done about it? Any functioning government would construct trenches, implement rainwater reuse measure and water desalination when you're constantly plagued with this issue. Droughts are only going to get worse, you either move with the times or get left behind - other countries realize this: https://www.iwmi.org/news/tunisia-j...ate-of-the-art-drought-management-technology/

Somalia has no longer as much problem handling drought , most people aren't displaced from drought at all. They have water harvesting systems in place, storage systems and various emergency response mechanisms in place to reach the vurnerable.

''A review of the displacement patterns during the entire period shows that a district impacted by a severe drought does not always see a high level of displacement"
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Also i disagree drought is not going to get worse especially outside of AS controlled areas where woodcutting is a major problem, massive reforestation initiatives have been put in places all over the country , people have been planting more than a million of trees annually added together in the last couple of years.

They have even built sub-surface dams, sand dams, burkads, haffir dams and boreholes all over the country.

They have also started to build solar powered water desalination plants in different parts of the country. This is part of why clean water access is high in Somalia at 77%

Most of the displacement actually came from the 2023 floods brought by major weather pattern called El-Nino which displaced 3 million or more. How could the government prevent/mitigate a 1 in 100 century flood? A flood that obliterated 1.5 million hectares of farmland?
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This was utterly devastating it reversed soo much progress and gains for many communities.

''The 2023 Deyr floods caused 176 million in losses and damaged across sixteen districts. The floods resulted in 188 fatalities and displaced over 2 mllion people''

''According to the report, direct damages to agriculture, water and sanitation, education and other key sectors surpassed 126 million , while losses amounted to 49.5 million. The agriculture and livestock sector, requires the highest recovery investments, followed by Transport and Housing."
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Now Somalia is not laying down on their back, it is resolving this to prevent this from happening in the future and prevent floods from being a problem. Other than expanding drainage in different towns to carry greater loads.

They have created a Flood Risk and Response Information Management System (FRRIMS) tool for the Jubba and Shabelle rivers here: https://frrims.faoswalim.org/

Tools like this are very important, since they can help reduce the impact of flooding. They have access to very high resolution satellite data, whereby they can monitor the rainfall that comes down from the Ethiopian highlands.

They have even created flood stations:
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They mapped all the river breakages and making sure to detect went to open or close them.
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You can see more about the very smart solutions the Somalia's Ministry of Energy and Water Resources has carried out:
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There is more to this as the article hasn't been updated in a while.

Remittance is ~15% of Somalia's GDP but declining - a combination of the local economy rebounding but the diaspora also being broke! https://www.cbc.ca/news/climate/somalia-climate-crisis-remittances-1.6778232
View attachment 370219
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Lol, you seem to think critiquing Somalia's current position makes you a loser. Id argue that keeping the blinders on and only focusing on the slight positives will keep you in mediocrity which is much worse.

But this assumes Somalia’s GDP is only $10–12 billion. From that perspective, $2 billion in remittances might seem like a big chunk.

What shows that this isn’t the “true” GDP is that the livestock sector alone in 2013 was measured at $8.9 billion, way higher than the government/IMF figure of $2.28 billion.
From an IGAD/ICPALD 2016 study, even in 2013 they found a discrepancy between their own direct production estimates and IMF GDP figures when they directly measured the livestock economy.


''The Production based approach places the contribution of the Livestock to the Somalia economy at 8.152 billion in 2013. This figure is above the IMF estimate of Agriculture GDP of 5.7 billion USD where livestock contributes 2.28 billion.
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They even explain that the figures given by the Somali government and the IMF are due to lack of accurate statistical data and differences in methodological approach.
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It also directly benefits financial institutions in Somalia. Keep in mind that this is 2013 , microfinance institutions have grown exponentially since, among other things.

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Imagine how much that sector has grown since then, especially with tanneries, meat processors, dairy factories that produces products, dairy farms, and other businesses now in place post 2012. And that’s just one sector, think about the rest.

They’re missing a huge amount of informal economic activity, which mobile transfer figures help reveal: $2.7 billion a month, roughly 36% of GDP, which adds up to $32 billion a year, and $90 billion if you include the rest of the $64 billion.

Plus, studies show that in 2018 remittances made up only 6% of total value mobile money, just 2% of the economy. The 2020 income/livelihood survey showed most people 92% , don’t even rely on it. They earn from business, wage labor, agriculture, or fishing. Which implies there is large domestic capital formation.

Somalia is anything but mediocre. It’s made huge leaps and innovations in a short time, and the next 3–4 years are going to be even more transformative if you’ve seen the plans and the scale of investments coming in.
 
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Caaro

I do something called "what I want"
2021 GRANDMASTER
VIP
We were stateless and in a civil war for decades, whats their excuse ?
I get where you’re going but let’s not act like this is any excuse for somalia.

“I cut my legs off and burned my house, what’s your excuse?”

40 years of statelessness is self inflicted.
 

Caaro

I do something called "what I want"
2021 GRANDMASTER
VIP
Not really self inflicted tbh
Maybe not the initial catalyst. But the ensuing chaos and anarchy is a sign of a failed culture and society.

other nations and peoples will have civil wars and periods of unrest. But they do not continuously and perpetually destroy their prople, their infrastructure and any progress to rebuilding.

for the past 30 years, it has been somalis killing somalis, somalis starving somalis, somalis stealing from somalis and somalis against somalis.

Just look at the current government’s corruption as well as the people’s complacency.

We used to jokingly say Syria will rebuild itself before Somalia. Now it’s a reality. Next Palestine will rebuild before Somalia.

many countries have been in civil war and have been through destruction. Yet their people are resilient and look for the future.
 
Maybe not the initial catalyst. But the ensuing chaos and anarchy is a sign of a failed culture and society.

other nations and peoples will have civil wars and periods of unrest. But they do not continuously and perpetually destroy their prople, their infrastructure and any progress to rebuilding.

for the past 30 years, it has been somalis killing somalis, somalis starving somalis, somalis stealing from somalis and somalis against somalis.

Just look at the current government’s corruption as well as the people’s complacency.

We used to jokingly say Syria will rebuild itself before Somalia. Now it’s a reality. Next Palestine will rebuild before Somalia.

many countries have been in civil war and have been through destruction. Yet their people are resilient and look for the future.
All our current problems were created by foreign interventions in the 2000s, it's hypocritical and ignorant to say that Somalis didnt manage to solve their problems on their own cause they did, but then our neighbors and western powers wouldn't let a strong somali state emerge, hence why you have fgs right now
 

Idilinaa

Retired
VIP
I get where you’re going but let’s not act like this is any excuse for somalia.

“I cut my legs off and burned my house, what’s your excuse?”

40 years of statelessness is self inflicted.

Somalia hasn’t been stateless for 40 years, far from it.

And you don’t have to take my word for it. Foreign researchers who actually study the region are constantly correcting that myth. There are regional states that tax and regulate trade.
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Somalia has made real progress in a short time, mostly using its own resources, because we don’t sit around waiting for handouts. We get to work.

There’s no excuse for them. Instead of doing something about their own situation, they’d rather sit around making up stories in their heads about how bad Somalia is, just to make themselves feel better. That’s loser behavior. Their downfall is self-inflicted not Somalia’s because Somalis actually organize, cooperate, build, and uplift each other. The results i have shown throughout the threads shows.
 

Idilinaa

Retired
VIP
Maybe not the initial catalyst. But the ensuing chaos and anarchy is a sign of a failed culture and society.

other nations and peoples will have civil wars and periods of unrest. But they do not continuously and perpetually destroy their prople, their infrastructure and any progress to rebuilding.

for the past 30 years, it has been somalis killing somalis, somalis starving somalis, somalis stealing from somalis and somalis against somalis.

Just look at the current government’s corruption as well as the people’s complacency.

We used to jokingly say Syria will rebuild itself before Somalia. Now it’s a reality. Next Palestine will rebuild before Somalia.

many countries have been in civil war and have been through destruction. Yet their people are resilient and look for the future.
Ok lets break down each of these claims because its complete nonsense.

Somalis don't steal from each other. In Somalia theft is rare and it's economy runs on a system based on cross border communal trust. How many reports do you see of robberies happening in Somalia or home invasions?, you almost hear none of this happening. Instances of fraud and people getting cheated is also relatively rare.

If Somalis were stealing from one another we wouldn't trust eachother at all:

Entrust we must: The role of 'trust' in Somali economic life​


Somalia is the type of country where you can trade gold and exchange cash out in the open without much security.


Somalis don't kill eachother , Somalia has one of the lowest murder rates in the world.


Somalis also don't starve eachother at all. I have made it clear that most of Somalia is food secure and the markets are filled with food:
They grow food for local consumption and they import food from the southern part of the country, across the country, as well as as abroad not necessarily aid but through purchasing. What they have done is many areas is recreate what's grown in the south locally rice, beans, maize, sorghum. They have access to various grains, vegetables, fruits, poutry, eggs , meat , dairy etc. The farms are variable .

Their farms are not intended to grow them at large commercial scale like in the south.

Notes from Global Food security cluster
"Reports indicate that overrall food security conditions in Puntland are normal, with most households able to meet their basic food needs"
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This is pretty much reflective of most of Somalia's market across all states are-stocked with food of every type and its available.

From the Joint Markets and Supply Chain Update | 16 – 30 April 2025
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And Somalia has pretty much rebuilt most of their country and their infrastructure, are expanding infrastructure projects all over. For more than a decade and half cross regionally it has been going through a construction boom.

If you go through major parts of Somalia today all that you would hear would be construction noise not civil war or fighting. You see people cooperating and sharing resources.

Report from 2014


Report from 2016

Somalia has rebuilt itself and is building itself into something greater. People are not complacent at all.
 
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