"This is a major milestone for Somalia and its development agenda,” said Abdi Aynte, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, whose ministry prepared the draft. "The NDP is the strongest signal yet that Somalia has now entered a development stage after decades of state collapse and a shattered economy. The historic nature of achieving this momentous task, notwithstanding very limited state capacity, can not be understated.”

Minister Aynte said the NDP covers three fiscal years (2017-2019) and is compliant with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Interim Poverty Reduction Paper (iPRSP), both global frameworks for poverty alleviation and economic growth. He added that the four overarching objectives of the NDP are:

a) To quantitatively reduce abject poverty by reviving key economic sectors such as livestock, farming, fishing, ICT, finance and banking

b) To repair vital infrastructure, starting with clean energy and water, economic beltways, ports and airports
c) To qualitatively strengthen state capacity by reforming and streamlining the public administration sector
d) To sustain political inclusivity, accelerate security sector reform and strengthen the rule of law across federal and state levels

"Due to the unique nature of Somalia, this NDP is inclusive of politics, security and the rule of law,” said Aynte. "We must compliment and sustain the demonstrable progress made over the past three years under the New Deal Compact for Somalia.”

The Compact expires in 2016, and the NDP is designed to pick up from where the Compact leaves, said Minister Aynte. He added that the FGS made an agreement with its international partners, through a ‘Mutual Accountability Framework’, to maintain close working relationship during the lifespan of the NDP.

Minister Aynte said the NDP is based on extensive consultations with many stakeholders, starting with federal member states. The team from the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) traveled to all existing member states (except Somaliland) and conducted consultations with state and local governments, as well as civil society, with special focus on women and youth groups, and the private sector.

According to the Population Estimate Survey for Somalia, which was released in 2015, over 70% of Somalia’s 12.3 million people are under the age of 30, and slightly over 50% are female. Furthermore, about 11% of Somalia’s population is Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) spread across the country.

"We mainstreamed gender throughout the NDP, thanks to a close collaboration with our Ministry of Gender and Human Rights and UN Women,” said Minister Aynte. "But more than anything else, the NDP caters to the youth—Somalia’s largest group. We believe that the youth bulge in our country poses great deal of risks, but it can also become an advantage to our economy and the vibrancy of our society. In addition, we have a strong component in the NDP tailored for the most vulnerable part of our population: IDPs. It’s called ‘Durable Solutions for the Displaced.’”

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed the launch of the NDP.

"This is by far one of the greatest achievements of my administration,” said President Mohamud. "Our legacy will be that we were able to define our development priorities in a way that promotes tangible economic growth and resilient communities. The NDP unlocks Somalia’s economic potential by introducing innovative solutions to persistent impediments. ”

Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke echoed the President’s remarks:

"That we were able to craft such a comprehensive NDP in such a short time speaks to the determination of my cabinet,” he said, adding: "We must now translate the NDP into bankable projects and commit state institutions to cooperate on implementation.”

The MoPIC intends to launch a second round of consultations to improve the first draft of the NDP. It anticipates to finalize the NDP by August. The Ministry intends to release the finalized NDP, along with annexes detailing costs, management and implementation plan and monitoring and evaluations framework.