UNDP

Mogadishu’s new bet on green and blue jobs aims at a generation shut out of opportunity MOGADISHU — On a warm morning in the Somali capital, officials and bankers gathered under a tented pavilion to unveil a project that reads like a roadmap for a country trying to turn deep challenges into opportunity. The United Nations Development Programme and the Hormuud Salaam Foundation announced an 18-month partnership designed to funnel training, digital tools and finance into Somalia’s “green” and “blue” economies — and,…

Aida Diarra, the bigwig behind Visa’s Sub-Saharan Africa division, couldn’t contain her excitement about the business tie-up. “Teaming up with UNDP Somalia lights us up as we aim to bring the digital age and financial services to every nook and cranny of the region. With our smarts in digital payments, we want to give Somali small business folks and underserved communities a real shot at economic strength and sustainable living," Diarra shared with palpable enthusiasm. Lionel Laurens, the go-to persona at UNDP Somalia, shed…