Bile Initiative's Third Edition Trains 160 Somali University Students in AI

The third edition of the Bile Initiative, a Mogadishu-based technology training programme, ran in 2026 with 160 final-year ICT students drawn from 22 universities across the Somali capital, training them across four tracks: Software Development, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, and Software Analysis.

Women made up 43% of participants in this year's cohort, organisers said, continuing an effort to widen gender participation in Somalia's ICT sector. The programme was launched by Tabaarak ICT Solutions in partnership with SomaliREN, Somalia's national research and education network, and the Hormuud Salaam Foundation.

The initiative targets final-year university students specifically, aiming to bridge the gap between academic ICT coursework and the practical skills needed for employment in Somalia's growing technology sector. The AI track's inclusion alongside more established tracks like software development reflects rising demand among Somali students and employers for AI-specific skills.

The Bile Initiative's 2026 cohort adds to a cluster of AI skills-building activity in Mogadishu this year, following the opening of the second AI Summit Somalia and the launch of the Somali National Artificial Intelligence Centre.