Swahili is already a widely used language in East African nations, according to the country’s President. Currently, English is the primary language of instruction in most secondary schools across the country, while Arabic has been the only official language used in schools until now.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced that Swahili will also be taught in schools and universities while speaking at the East African Community (EAC) summit taking place in the capital, Mogadishu.

President Mohamud said, “National universities, especially the Somali National University, must make greater efforts to promote the Swahili language, as it is the official language of the East African region.”

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Somalia officially joined the East African Community a bloc of eight member states  last year, aiming to boost its economy after more than three decades of civil war. Swahili, spoken by over 200 million people, ranks among the ten most spoken languages in the world.

Various dialects of Swahili are already spoken along Somalia’s southern coast, and the language has become more commonly used in the country over recent years as one of the effects of the 1991 civil war.

Thousands of Somalis fled to Kenya during the conflict, where Swahili is widely spoken, particularly among those who went through the Kenyan education system.

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As Somalia has become more stable in recent years, many Swahili speakers have returned home or maintained close connections with their families in the country.

Until 2016, Arabic was the language of instruction in primary schools, while English was used in secondary schools and universities.

Currently, the primary school curriculum is taught in Somali, while secondary schools and universities use English, and Arabic remains the main language of instruction in Islamic schools (madrassas).