Somali Youth Honored for Promoting Positive Content as Daaci2026 Program Ends

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A high-profile ceremony in Mogadishu on Monday, March 30, brought the first season of the “Daaci 2026” program to a close, spotlighting a new generation of Somali creators whose online work promoted uplifting social and religious messages during Ramadan.

The campaign was spearheaded by Nasiye, a startup created by young entrepreneurs and known for its IPTV services, with backing from telecom heavyweights Hormuud Telecom and WAAfi. Its central mission was to reshape Somali digital spaces by steering influencers away from harmful material and toward content centered on faith, ethics, and national pride.

Out of 4,000 applicants, 120 contestants were chosen to take part. Their entries produced thousands of videos that drew millions of viewers across platforms including TikTok. When the winners were announced, Salma Muse Salah took the top prize and received $20,000 for the reach and influence of their work.

The opening speech at the Daaci 2026 Awards Ceremony was given by Nasiye General Manager Engineer Burhan Omar Sheikh.

“The Daaci 2026 program was launched during the month of Ramadan by engaging famous youth on TikTok, challenging them to compete in promoting goodness and virtue,” he said. “The results have been remarkable. Nasiye is a company founded by young people that provides IPTV services, intended to reach Somalis everywhere with positive stories from our country. We want to replace the negative narratives often associated with Somalis, such as drought and piracy, with stories of goodness and talent.”

The idea behind Daaci dates back to 2019, when the rapid rise of Somali TikTok personalities first began to reshape the country’s online culture. Abdalla Sheikh Ahmednuur, Hormuud’s Chief Financial Officer and the driving force behind the initiative, said the growth of internet use over the past decade brought a wave of content that often ran counter to Islamic values and sound ethics.

“As you are aware, internet usage has surged over the last 10 to 15 years, leading to a rise in Somali youth becoming content creators. Alongside positive content, however, there has been an increase in videos that contradict Islamic culture and good ethics,” stated Abdalla.

“While the harm of such content was widely discussed, no solution had been found. Deeply concerned by this, I conceived the idea for ‘Daaci’ in 2019 after meeting Daaci Abubakar and Daaci Omar in Mogadishu, two young men already using their platforms to share positive messages. The goal is to cultivate a generation of Somali youth who use social media to spread goodness, effectively putting an end to content that undermines our faith and culture.”

Deputy Minister of Information Abdirahman Al-Adaala welcomed the change in online trends, saying parents who once worried about the figures influencing their children now have a “virtuous” alternative.

The ceremony was presided over by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who stressed that every citizen has a role to play in building a moral society. In an unexpected announcement, he said the Somali government would grant Hajj visas to the winners of the next edition, Daaci 2027.

“Every individual, whether you are a merchant, journalist, politician, or cleric, can draw closer to God through their professional work while building a virtuous society,” the Prime Minister told the gathering.

The Daaci program’s strong reception reflects a notable change in how private companies and the Somali government are approaching social media — not merely as a communications tool, but as a space that can shape culture and morality.

AXADLETM