Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has praised Somalis in parts of Southern Africa for their relentless effort in entrepreneurship.Â
The regional President who is in Zambia for a visit on Saturday met Somali Entrepreneurs and called on them to expand and seize more business opportunities across the Continent.Â
He urged Somali investors, entrepreneurs, and business representatives who attended the meeting to explore opportunities that have the potential to unlock Trade, Tourism, and Investment opportunities.
The Somali Businesses Diaspora mainly in Africa and in Developed countries have been the lifeline of many families which rely on their support for livelihood.Â
The UN Development Programme estimates that $1.6 billion in remittances are sent back annually by Somali immigrants from around the world.
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni said their excellence in entrepreneurship has made the name of Somalia have a place gain in the map of the world.Â
“The success we are witnessing here is the result of unity, constant community consultations and engagement among business leaders,†said President Deni.Â
Zambia is host to between 3,000 and 4,000 Somalis holed up mainly in Lusaka and Ndola since the late 1960s when some of them migrated as workers for a transport company that was contracted to ferry fuel from Tanzania during an operation dubbed ‘Hell Run’.
Others have been sneaking in from 1992 when that country went up in flames after then President Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted out of Power.Â