The Cabinet of Somalia has unanimously endorsed Abdi Sheik Ahmed for the post of Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA) of Somalia.

In a statement the Ministry of Posts, Telecom and Technology of Somalia noted that Ahmed will lead Somalia's first communications regulator, established under Somalia's Communications Law of 2017.

H.E. Abdi Ashur Hassan, the Minister for Post, Telecom and Technology, said this is a milestone by the Ministry, "to have the director endorsed in due course because it will bring us closer to the establishment of the regulator."

"When the law was passed in 2017 we promised our commitment to its implementation, and the establishment of NCA is the first step towards that goal."

Ahmed has been reported to also be the brother-in-law of Somalia's president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, according to local news publication Muqdisho Online.

The Ministry describes Ahmed as a multi-disciplinary technology leader with strong background in all facets of ICT, particularly in the design and operations of global networks.

"For over 23 years he worked for one of the largest telecommunication companies in the US and the World (Verizon Communications) where he held (a) number of leadership and senior management positions, including 11 years of managing financial and human resources."

Currently, he is a senior ICT adviser to the Ministry of Post, Telecommunication and Technology of the Federal Government of Somalia, focusing on passage of Somali Communications Act, capacity building for the Ministry, and engagements between the Ministry, development partners, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

"In 2012 Abdi returned to Somalia where he served as a Senior Adviser to two Prime Ministers. In the Office of the Prime Minister, he identified a need for coordinated and coherent capacity development framework and strategy for the Somali state institutions."

Abdi obtained his undergraduate education in Computer Science from Rust College/University of Houston, Texas with honours (Suma Cum laude) and Master of Science - specialisation in Information System and MBA degrees respectively from the University of Denver and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.