In Benghazi, Derna, Tripoli, and Sebha, a new generation of Libyan entrepreneurs is turning market gaps into businesses, services, and jobs. From home-based healthcare and vocational training to technology maintenance and catering, young people are showing how targeted support can help transform promising ideas into formal enterprises with the potential to serve communities and create livelihoods.
This momentum is being supported through the Enabling Environment Towards Youth Entrepreneurship Support and Positive Migration Governance project, known as EEYES. Financed by the African Development Bank through the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with national stakeholders and the European Union, the project aims to strengthen Libya's entrepreneurial ecosystem, promote youth employment, and support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
For young entrepreneurs, the support has been practical and immediate. EEYES has contributed to the broader DERAYA and ROWWAD multi-donor entrepreneurship initiatives coordinated by UNDP, providing entrepreneurship awareness sessions, incubation support, business coaching, mentoring, and seed funding to start-ups across Benghazi, Derna, and Sebha. To date, more than 1,000 beneficiaries have taken part in entrepreneurship awareness-raising activities, 60 start-ups have been trained and mentored, and 29 start-ups have received funding, including 16 women-led businesses.
Scaling solutions- EEYES builds entrepreneurs in difficult circumstances
In Benghazi, Al Reaya Al Tebeya for Medical Services, founded in 2023 by medical doctor Mohamed Al Warad, is working to improve access to home-based healthcare services.
The company responds to a clear social need: many people face barriers to healthcare because of distance, mobility constraints, or limited access to services.
"Access to healthcare should not be limited by mobility or distance. Our objective is to bring quality medical services closer to people and contribute to improving healthcare accessibility in Libya. We also aim to expand our services to other regions across the country in order to reach more communities and respond to the growing demand for home-based healthcare services," Al Warad said.
For Nouran Ramadan, founder of Matabekh Al Zahera, entrepreneurship became a pathway to recovery and renewed confidence after the devastating floods in Derna. After relocating to Tripoli to continue her studies, she transferred and expanded her catering activity, which provides quality homemade meals and is now run by two women.
"The floods changed our lives completely, and rebuilding from zero was not easy. The support I received helped me restart my business and regain confidence in the future. Today, I hope to continue growing Matabekh Al Zahera by opening a women-led coffee shop where I can also showcase and sell the chocolate and homemade products we produce," Ramadan said.
The experiences of Al Warad and Ramadan reflect the wider importance of entrepreneurship support in Libya.
In a context where young people and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises can play a central role in economic diversification, job creation, and local resilience along with access to coaching, mentoring, seed funding and business support, make the difference between an idea that remains informal and a business that grows.
The EEYES project also supports broader efforts to strengthen Libya's entrepreneurship ecosystem. By promoting skills development, enterprise creation, innovation, and access to support networks, it contributes to building a more inclusive private sector environment for young Libyan men and women. Approved in 2021 and under implementation since 2022, the project aligns with the African Development Bank's broader commitment to expanding economic opportunities, supporting youth entrepreneurship, and strengthening private-sector-led growth.
The emerging results show how targeted technical assistance and entrepreneurship financing can help young Libyans move from aspiration to action. For entrepreneurs like Mohamed Al Warad and Nouran Ramadan, support through EEYES is not only helping businesses grow; it is helping restore confidence, expand services, and create new pathways for young people to contribute to Libya's future.
