• Saudi aid agency launches primary education project in Chad
• Initiative to support 23,000 students in eight provinces
• World Bank says 94% lack basic reading skills

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, a Saudi aid agency, on Wednesday launched a project to support primary education in Chad, in a ceremony held in N’Djamena.

The initiative is expected to benefit 23,000 students across eight provinces, including Lac, Kanem and Hadjer-Lamis, according to local media. The project was inaugurated at Arola Primary School in the capital, in the presence of Education Minister Aboubakar Assidik Choroma and a representative of the Saudi embassy.

The Organization for the Promotion of Teaching in Chad (OPET) will implement the programme, which covers 41 primary schools. It includes the distribution of shared school benches and kits containing notebooks, pens, geometry sets and uniforms. Organisers say the project aims to improve learning conditions for thousands of pupils.

Mahamat Djibrine, education delegate for N’Djamena 1, described the initiative as “a new era for education in Chad”, adding that it would help build Chad’s future leaders.

The launch comes amid a severe learning crisis. In 2022, the World Bank said 94% of children in Chad were unable to read and understand an age-appropriate text by the age of 10. UNESCO estimates that 90% of primary school pupils have low learning outcomes. Primary school completion rates stand at 38% for girls and 49% for boys.

The World Bank estimates that human capital accounts for only 42% of Chad’s national wealth, reflecting low investment in education and training. A 2024 UNICEF report notes that many schools lack adequate furniture, access to drinking water and functional latrines, contributing to dropouts and weak academic performance.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou