Digital Government and the Future of Public Services

FIKIR Institute · 28 July 2026 · 5 min read

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Digital public infrastructure — from identity systems to payment rails — is increasingly viewed as a foundation for more efficient and inclusive public services.

The opportunity

Somalia's high mobile-money penetration provides an unusually strong base on which to build interoperable digital government services.

The risks

Without clear data governance and cybersecurity frameworks, digitisation efforts risk introducing new vulnerabilities faster than institutions can manage them.

Policy priorities

A phased approach — prioritising identity, payments and civil registration — offers the clearest route to sustainable digital transformation.

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