# Somaliland Unveils $1.1 Million Plan for 31 Rural Schools

> On 25 January 2021 Somaliland Chronicle reported a 31-school rural construction plan costed by the minister at 1.1 million US dollars.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Business and Costs
- Tags: procurement, project-management
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/somaliland-1-1-million-31-school-plan

## Key points

- On 25 January 2021 Somaliland Chronicle reported Minister of Education and Science Ahmed Mohamed Diriye Egeh announcing the construction of 31 new schools in rural areas of Somaliland, in 2 to 4 classroom blocks expected to host 7,500 students across two shifts.
- Minister Egeh put the construction cost at 1.1 million US dollars, entirely funded by the government of Somaliland, which Somaliland Chronicle calculated as roughly 5% of the Ministry's 22 million US dollar 2021 budget.
- The report records no contractor, tender, contract value, site list, start date or completion date for the 31 schools, and nothing about construction progress since January 2021.

On 25 January 2021, Somaliland Chronicle reported that the Minister of Education and Science, Ahmed Mohamed Diriye Egeh, announced the construction of 31 new schools in rural areas of Somaliland. The announcement, carried under the headline 'Ministry of Education and Science Unveils 1.1 Million US Dollar New School Construction Project', set out the shape and cost of the programme, not its delivery.

According to the minister, as reported by Somaliland Chronicle, the schools will consist of 2 to 4 classrooms and are expected to host 7,500 students across two shifts. That figure is an expected capacity stated at announcement, not an enrolment number.

## The money and the comparison

Minister Egeh said the cost of constructing the 31 schools will be 1.1 million US dollars, entirely funded by the government of Somaliland. Somaliland Chronicle calculated that the figure represents roughly 5% of the Ministry of Education and Science's 22 million US dollar budget for 2021, a stated budget allocation rather than a disbursement record.

The same report stated that an additional 100 schools were constructed in Somaliland in 2020 by the Somaliland government and international donors. It gave no donor split and no verification of completion for those 100 schools.

Minister Egeh also stated that a lot more schools will undergo extensive renovation, upgrade and re-equipment, without numbers or dates. He stated that 300 new teachers were hired and an additional 2,000 were trained and licensed by the Ministry, and that the Ministry purchased 4,000 solar-powered tablets with pre-recorded grade 1 lessons including sign language as a mobile school for children of transient pastoralist households. In July 2020, he had stated that 40% of Somaliland school-age children lack access to basic education, following an extensive tour of the country.

## What the record does not establish

The report names no contractor, consultant or implementing agency. It records no tender, procurement method, contract award or contract value, and does not distinguish between the minister's 1.1 million US dollar figure and a contract sum.

It gives no site list, no construction start date and no completion date for the 31 schools, and no budget line or disbursement record showing that the 1.1 million US dollars was released or spent. There is no supplier, contract or delivery evidence for the 4,000 tablets, and no dates, cost or payroll evidence for the teaching appointments.

Nothing in the report establishes what has happened to the programme since January 2021: not whether construction began, not whether any of the 31 schools opened, and not whether the funding was drawn down. On the record as published, the 31 rural schools remained an announced project with a minister's cost figure attached.

## Questions

### How many schools will be built and where?

Somaliland Chronicle reported on 25 January 2021 that Minister of Education and Science Ahmed Mohamed Diriye Egeh announced the construction of 31 new schools in rural areas of Somaliland, consisting of 2 to 4 classrooms. No site list was given.

### Who is funding the project?

According to Minister Egeh, as reported by Somaliland Chronicle, the project is entirely funded by the government of Somaliland.

### What is the timeline for completion?

The report records no construction start date and no completion date for the 31 schools, and does not establish whether any construction has taken place since January 2021.

## Sources

- [Ministry of Education and Science Unveils 1.1 Million US Dollar New School Construction Project](https://somalilandchronicle.com/2021/01/25/ministry-of-education-and-science-unveils-1-1-million-us-dollar-new-school-construction-project/) — Somaliland Chronicle, 2021-01-25