A Paradigm of Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship Management Practices and Youth Empowerment Programs in Mogadishu, Somalia

Youth unemployment is a growing global issue, exacerbating poverty and dependency cycles that hinder development. Despite the initiatives by the various stakeholders to improve youth empowerment, it has remained below the threshold. Available data indicated that Somalia is still experiencing one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally at 67%. Additionally, the low education levels, which stand at 60%, have contributed to Somali youth's inability to receive entrepreneurial training. Therefore, the primary focus of the research was to ascertain the effect of entrepreneurship management practices on youth empowerment programs in Mogadishu, Somalia. Precisely, the study examined the impact of resource orientation, entrepreneurship culture, growth orientation, and management structure on youth empowerment programs in Mogadishu, Somalia. The empowerment theory, stakeholder’s theory and dynamic capability theory anchored the study. The study used a descriptive research design. The target population included four hundred youth in youth empowerment programs in Mogadishu, Somalia. Proportional stratified and simple random sampling techniques determined a response size of two hundred participants. The study used structured questionnaires and Twenty respondents participated in a pilot exercise.The study used reliability and validity to test data collection instrument. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse quantitative data. Descriptive statistics were summarized using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The study established a positive and significant relationship between resource orientation, entrepreneurship culture, growth orientation, and management structure in youth empowerment programs in Mogadishu, Somalia. The study recommends that the policymakers, development partners, and community leaders prioritize the integration of entrepreneurship training and support systems within youth programs. The study recommended the establishment of innovation hubs, access to micro-finance, and business development services tailored to the needs of young entrepreneurs; and to integrate entrepreneurship education into school curricula and community outreach programs to foster entrepreneurial perspectives from a young age.