The university, based in the capital, Mogadishu, was shut down in the early 1990s after the breakout of civil war and unrest. It reopened in 2014.

More than 130 graduates were awarded degree certificates during Monday's ceremony.

In 2014, only 550 students applied to the university, but in 2018 that number increased to 5,070.

Many students have expressed their concerns about security.

The fear of militant group al-Shabab was initially a big obstacle for new graduate Yusra Osman Sharif.

“When I was starting the university I used to hide my ID card, when someone asked me which university I went to I used to try to mislead them," she said.