Erigavo
Erigavo, also spelled as Erigabo, is a city administered by Somaliland and the largest administrative center in the Sanaag region.
Etymology
The name Ceerigaabo is described in Somali sources as composed of two elements: Ceeri, denoting a place where water collects, and gaabo, meaning short or low; some writers also relate Ceeri to ceeriyaan, a Somali term for mist/fog, so that the toponym may allude to low-lying mist over the town. Variant English renderings of the town's Somali name reflect differences in romanization conventions for Somali long vowels and consonants noted in recent linguistic guidance.Geography
Environment
to the north of the town are remnant juniper woodlands that form part of the northern escarpment forests fringing the Sanaag highlands, within the Somali montane xeric woodlands ecoregion. The escarpment forms a sharp drop to the Gulf of Aden coastal plain, reaching around in elevation before descending toward the coast, a pattern typical of the northern ranges where upland catchments drain to the Gulf. to the west, the massif rises to Shimbiris, the highest point in Somaliland at about above sea level. A road from Erigavo also leads onto the Daallo plateau/Daallo escarpment, part of a long-recognized forest belt; the Daallo Important Bird Area supports evergreen forest dominated by Juniperus procera and Olea on the rocky scarp. The nearby ancient coastal settlement of Heis has been the subject of recent archaeological missions documenting its role in Red Sea trade networks.Erigavo's uplands and the Daallo–Shimbiris escarpment host characteristic fauna of the North Somali mountains. Avifauna of conservation interest includes the endemic Warsangli linnet and other high-elevation species recorded in juniper woodland around Daallo. Wider ecoregional syntheses also note large mammals such as beira and dik-dik in these escarpment systems, with remnant high-altitude juniper stands forming key habitat patches. In the broader Horn range the Somali ostrich is native, and hamadryas baboon occurs in suitable escarpment and plateau habitats; both have been reported from the north Somali uplands and associated protected/IBA landscapes, including the Daallo area.
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification, the Erigavo highlands have a mild semi-arid regime shaped by elevation, with warm days and cool to cold nights and without extreme heat typical of lowland arid zones; seasonal rainfall follows the Gu and Deyr peaks common to northern Somalia/Somaliland.Station data compiled by the Deutscher Wetterdienst indicate long-term average annual precipitation of about at Erigavo, with the wettest months in the main rains and very dry conditions in boreal winter; temperatures are equable year-round and sub-zero minima have been observed in some months. The town's altitude on the Sanaag escarpment keeps mean monthly temperatures in the mid-teens to around and sharply limits very hot days relative to coastal and inland lowlands.
Demographics
Erigavo and its district host a mix of clans; a late-1990s fact-finding account noted the town as “wholly dominated” by the Habr Yunis and Habr Je'lo branches of the Isaaq at that time. A 2013 district assessment by the Observatory of Conflict and Violence Prevention identified four main clans present in Erigavo—Habr Je’lo, Habr Yunis, Warsangali and Dhulbahante—with smaller numbers of other groups, indicating a heterogeneous urban composition.Population figures in published sources vary by geographic scope and date. A 2011 photo-essay text estimated “180,000” for Erigavo, a figure consistent with district-level usage rather than the built-up town alone. By contrast, the 2013 OCVP assessment states the town's population was “about 30,000,” explicitly referring to Erigavo town. For contextual comparison, the 2014 Population Estimation Survey placed the entire Sanaag region at roughly 540,000+, underscoring the large share of population outside the regional capital.
Sanaag has one of the highest proportions of nomadic households nationally, which shapes settlement patterns and seasonal movements in and out of the town; PESS-based tabulations report that a majority of the region's residents were nomadic as of 2014. Periodic shocks also affect short-term demographics; for example, clashes reported in December 2024 led to displacement in and around Ceerigaabo/Erigavo.
Administration
Erigavo serves as the administrative seat of Sanaag region, and town affairs are managed by the mayor of Erigavo and an elected local council. As of the post-war municipal consolidation, taxes were levied and collected by the town council.Under Somaliland's municipal system the mayor is chosen by the local council following municipal elections. In December 2012, the newly sworn council re-elected Ismail Haji Nour as mayor of Erigavo.
Economy
Erigavo is the principal commercial hub of the Sanaag region, serving as the administrative and economic center of the highlands.Markets in Erigavo function as regional trading points where livestock, imported goods, and agricultural produce are exchanged, linking coastal towns with inland communities; Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit explicitly tracks Erigavo market prices and terms-of-trade as a key reference for the East Golis/Guban zone.
Livestock rearing and trade are central to livelihoods in Erigavo; FSNAU reports the town's cereal supply lines and notes that poor road infrastructure raises transport costs and market prices. Animal health and market participation have long been supported from Erigavo; following assessments in the early 1990s, ActionAid and VETAID opened an office in the regional capital Erigavo to run a paravet-based Animal Health Programme focused on water and animal health services for pastoralists across Sanaag.
The Sanaag highlands are also a center for the collection and trade of aromatic resins, particularly frankincense. Extensive harvesting and export have been documented in Erigavo and its surroundings. Erigavo is internationally known as a source of frankincense, and its woodlands are ecologically significant. Some foundations have invested in sustainable harvesting initiatives in cooperation with local resin-collecting communities.
Agriculture in and around Erigavo is practiced on a smaller scale due to altitude and climate, with irrigated plots in nearby valleys producing a variety of vegetables; reported vegetables include tomatoes, lettuce, onions, peppers, and cabbages. Fruits reported for the wider Sanaag highlands include apricots, pomegranates, figs, olives, apples, and grapes.
Transport and logistics
The town is connected to Burao, capital of Togdheer region, as well as to the rest of the country via the Siilaanyo road, whose upgrades—including new culverts—have been reported in recent years.The Burao-Erigavo road provides Erigavo's primary overland link to central Somaliland and onward to the Port of Berbera via Burao; the project spans about 284 km and was launched in 2014 to improve regional connectivity. In February 2020, the corridor received over 280 transverse drainage culverts on the Erigavo–Ina Afmadoobe section to address seasonal flows across the route. Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit has noted that poor road infrastructure in the Erigavo catchment limits market access and raises transport costs, affecting staple cereal flows into the town's market. Eastward connections from Erigavo run via Badhan toward Bosaso; planning documents describe Badhan's approach roads as mostly minor routes, underscoring constraints on through-traffic to coastal markets. Air access is provided by Erigavo Airport, which has a compacted-gravel runway of approximately 2,000 m. In 2023, an automatic weather station was installed in Erigavo under the ICPAC Down2Earth project, enhancing local observation capacity for transport and market planning.
Education
Gollis University also lists an Erigavo campus among its locations. Gollis University operates an Erigavo branch; on 24 September 2025 the Somaliland Minister of Education presided over the 10th cohort graduation at the Ceerigaabo branch.Sanaag University is a public university based in Erigavo and offers undergraduate programs in the regional capital.
East Africa University has one of its six branches in the city. East Africa University's Erigavo campus holds local graduation ceremonies.
Queen of Sheba University offers women in Sanaag free degree courses and a limited number of places worldwide in distance mode.
Services
Urban services have expanded since the late 2010s through public–private and aid-supported programmes. In 2018–2019, the urban water system in Erigavo was rehabilitated under a PPP model financed by the EU with technical support from UNICEF and partners, alongside works in Borama, Burao and Tog Wajaale.Health services in Erigavo include the government-run Erigavo General Hospital, which has received equipment and medical supplies delivered by the Ministry of Health Development in 2025 as part of service upgrades. In addition, the privately supported Sanaag Specialty Hospital in Erigavo was completed and opened in 2021, providing emergency, maternity, surgical and diagnostic services; planning documents and opening announcements describe it as a referral facility for eastern Somaliland.
Municipal safety and emergency services have been an explicit policy focus. In February 2020, the Somaliland Fire Brigade leadership met with Sanaag regional and Erigavo district authorities to coordinate the establishment and strengthening of a professional fire service in the town.
Electricity access has been partially improved through a hybrid generation project announced and launched in 2021, combining solar, battery storage and diesel capacity and reported to reduce retail power costs in Erigavo.
The city is home to a Boy Scouts organization. Formed in 2005 by the local Sanaag administration, the Scouts partake in various activities, including a 2006 training program on governance, peace and leadership.