Somalia is entering another stage of its digital transformation journey with the introduction of HALMEEL, the National Unified Public Service Delivery Centre. The initiative aims to simplify how citizens and businesses access government services by bringing different institutions into a coordinated service delivery system.
According to an October 2026 report by Biometric Update, HALMEEL plans to introduce a unified digital government platform by March 2027, with a broader ambition to connect approximately 70 public services. Under the leadership of Director General Mohamed Dubo, the initiative is working with government institutions, including the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), to support more connected public services.
The concept is straightforward. Instead of requiring citizens to deal with several government offices independently, HALMEEL aims to provide a common point of access for services such as passport applications, business registration, government documents, and payments.
However, bringing services together is only one part of digital government. The more important question is whether the institutions responsible for those services can securely communicate, exchange information, and coordinate their work.
This is where interoperability becomes important.
In simple terms, interoperability allows different government systems to work together without requiring every institution to replace its existing technology. For example, a passport office could verify a citizen’s identity through NIRA without requiring the applicant to repeatedly submit the same information.
Such coordination could reduce unnecessary paperwork and improve service delivery. But it also requires clear agreements between institutions, reliable technology, appropriate security measures, and rules governing how information is shared.
Somalia’s challenge is not simply introducing another digital platform. It is connecting government institutions that may operate with different systems, procedures, and levels of technical capacity.
This raises a broader question: Will HALMEEL become a shared service platform, or will it develop into a wider system that allows government institutions to work together digitally?
The distinction matters because the long-term value of digital government comes not only from making services available online, but also from improving how institutions deliver those services.
The relationship between HALMEEL and NIRA provides an important example.
In my previous article, Is NIRA Just Printing IDs, or Building Somalia’s Digital Future?, I discussed how national identity systems are becoming part of broader digital infrastructure rather than simply issuing identification cards.
HALMEEL may become one of the practical applications of that infrastructure.
NIRA’s national identity system is expected to support identity verification across HALMEEL services. This could allow participating government agencies to confirm identity information through authorized digital connections.
However, the integration will also require attention to citizens who have not yet registered for a national ID, particularly as NIRA continues expanding its registration coverage.
Identity verification, public service access, and institutional coordination will need to develop together.
Across Africa, several countries are already exploring similar approaches.
Kenya has introduced Huduma Centres and the eCitizen platform to bring government services closer to citizens through physical and digital channels. Rwanda’s Irembo platform provides access to a range of public services, while Ethiopia is developing its MESOB one-stop service model.
HALMEEL has reportedly engaged with Ethiopia’s MESOB initiative to explore cooperation and technical knowledge exchange.
These experiences offer useful lessons, although Somalia’s institutional environment is different. Its federal governance structure, existing administrative systems, and developing digital infrastructure will influence how a national service platform can be implemented.
Somalia therefore has an opportunity to learn from regional experience while developing an approach suited to its own circumstances.
HALMEEL’s official website outlines a strategic direction covering 2027 to 2031, with services expected to be introduced gradually. This phased approach reflects the complexity of connecting institutions that have different responsibilities and technical requirements.
As implementation progresses, several questions will become important.
How many services will be fully available online? Which government systems will be connected? How will citizen information be protected? What arrangements will support service delivery outside Mogadishu? And how will the platform be maintained as more institutions participate?
These are normal questions for a project of this scale, rather than evidence of success or failure.
A service may initially allow citizens to submit applications or book appointments online, while more advanced integration could eventually support identity verification, payments, processing, and application tracking through connected systems.
Understanding these differences will help the public assess HALMEEL’s progress as new services become operational.
Another important consideration is institutional capacity.
Digital government requires more than software development. It involves trained public employees, cybersecurity professionals, system architects, service designers, and institutions willing to coordinate their procedures.
Somalia has a growing community of technology professionals, universities, researchers, and private organizations working in areas relevant to digital public infrastructure.
Transparent cooperation between government institutions and qualified local expertise could contribute to technical development, knowledge sharing, and long-term sustainability. Such cooperation would also help strengthen the country’s ability to maintain its own digital systems.
The national dimension of HALMEEL is equally important.
While the initiative begins in Mogadishu, the broader question is how integrated government services could eventually become accessible to citizens across Somalia.
This will involve coordination with relevant federal member states and local institutions, alongside improvements in connectivity, digital literacy, and access to identity services.
Technology alone cannot resolve institutional or political differences. However, shared technical standards and agreed service procedures can support cooperation where the necessary legal and administrative arrangements exist.
HALMEEL is still developing, and its long-term impact cannot yet be determined. Its progress will become clearer as participating institutions connect their systems and citizens begin using the services.
The most useful measures will be practical: whether applications become easier to complete, whether processing times improve, whether citizens need fewer visits to government offices, and whether institutions can exchange information securely and reliably.
Somalia’s digital transformation is gradually moving beyond individual systems toward a broader discussion about how national infrastructure can connect institutions, businesses, and citizens.
NIRA is developing identity infrastructure. Other institutions are modernizing payments, records, and public services. HALMEEL introduces another component by focusing on how these services can be accessed through a more coordinated system.
The relationship between these initiatives deserves continued public discussion, technical cooperation, and independent analysis.
The central question for Somalia is no longer simply how many government services can be digitized, but how effectively those services can work together.
HALMEEL provides an opportunity to explore that question in practice. Its significance will ultimately be determined by the quality, accessibility, and reliability of the services delivered to the Somali public.
By Hassan Mohamed
