Somalia has announced plans to accelerate the introduction of Swahili into the country's curriculum for schools and universities as part of its push for integration within the regional bloc East African Community (EAC).

Swahili is East Africa’s lingua franca and one of Africa’s most spoken languages.

The authorities said the language will be promoted to the status of a working and instructional language alongside Somali, Arabic and English to align with its new membership in the EAC.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud urged Somali universities to champion the teaching and use of Swahili as a cornerstone of regional unity and cooperation.

“The Somali National University, along with all Somali universities, must take the lead in promoting Swahili, the common language of the East African region,” President Mohamud said.

He made the remarks on Tuesday at the opening of the second East African Cooperation and Economic Integration Conference (EACON 2025) in the capital, Mogadishu, where the event was being held for the second consecutive year.

‘Develop framework’

Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir said the government was working with regional institutions to develop a framework for teaching Swahili nationwide.

“We are working to enhance the study and use of the Swahili language in Somalia. We want to see Swahili become a language of communication, trade and learning, even replacing English during our next conference,” he said.

The recently launched Somalia’s National Higher Education Board is coordinating the joint efforts with the East African Universities Association and the East African Qualifications, the minister added.

Swahili, spoken by over 200 million people across East and Central Africa, is already an official language of the African Union and the East African Community.

This year’s edition of EACON focused on enhancing cooperation, production, trade and investment across the East African region.

Growing ties

President Mohamud said Somalia’s integration in the East African region was already taking shape, reflected in the growing economic ties, cross-border trade and the increasing number of professionals from neighbouring countries contributing to Somalia’s public and private sectors.

He emphasized that the next phase of this partnership must go beyond commerce, calling for deeper cultural and linguistic integration to strengthen regional identity.

The president described the event as a “symbol of Somalia’s growing confidence and new role” within the EAC.

“Mogadishu has always been a city of trade and connection. Hosting this conference shows Somalia’s commitment to deepening regional integration, promoting peace, and advancing East Africa’s shared prosperity,” he said.

The president called on academics, business leaders, and policymakers to take a more active role in fostering economic and political cooperation across the bloc.

Somalia officially joined the East African Community (EAC) in 2024, becoming the bloc’s eighth partner state alongside Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).