Somalia is to introduce Swahili, the lingua franca of East Africa, to its national curriculum, the president has announced.
English is used as the language of instruction for most subjects nationwide at secondary schools, with Arabic the only other compulsory second language taught at the moment.
But President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Swahili should also be taught at schools and universities, making the declaration at a summit of the East African Community (EAC) taking place in the capital, Mogadishu.
Somalia officially joined the eight-nation regional trading bloc last year with the intention of boosting economic growth following three decades of war.
With more than 200 million speakers, Swahili is one of the world's 10 most widely spoken languages.
The country's universities, especially the Somali National University, should focus more on developing the Swahili language, which is the language of East Africa, President Mohamud said.
Adopting Swahili is important for our integration into the region, he added.
Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir expressed ambitions for the nationwide adoption of Swahili, aiming to enhance communication, trade, and learning.
Swahili dialects are already spoken along Somalia's southern coast, and the language has gained traction in recent years, influenced by the civil war and the presence of refugees educated in Kenya.
The increased use of Swahili among the military deployed in Somalia has also contributed to its rise as a common language.
As the educational landscape evolves, Somalia aims to transform linguistic capabilities to foster regional ties.
