RELANCE project to reach 850,000 young people with flexible, inclusive learning pathways.

Highlights:

● $137 million in financing agreements signed on July 22, 2025.
● Project targets 850,000 youths, with 50% girls.
● Aims to transform education systems in both countries through digital, face-to-face, and vocational training.

Mauritania and Chad have signed financing agreements worth $137 million under the RELANCE (Regional Engagement for Learning and Collaboration in Education) project, supported by the World Bank and Germany. The initiative is set to benefit 850,000 young people, half of them girls.

Signed on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, the project aims to modernize education systems in both countries by enhancing sector governance and providing access to flexible, inclusive learning pathways. A regional Open School will be established to serve youth outside traditional systems, particularly in underserved areas. The model combines digital tools, in-person support, and skills training.

Officials from both nations underscored the project’s impact. Mauritania’s Finance Minister Sid'Ahmed Bouh called it “a collective commitment to building a resilient, educated and forward-looking Sahel.” Chad’s Education Minister Dr Aboubakar Assidick Tchoroma said it would offer “skills and hope to thousands of young people often left behind.”

Both countries face common challenges in education — low access, poor quality, and insufficient funding — exacerbated by poverty, insecurity, and demographic pressure. According to UNESCO data, Chad’s primary completion rate was 38% for girls and 49% for boys in 2021. Mauritania fared better, with 72% and 60% respectively for girls and boys in 2019. At the junior and high school level, Chad recorded completion rates of 14.1% for girls and 24.2% for boys in 2021. Mauritania recorded 41.7% and 45.7% in 2019.

The RELANCE program builds on national efforts like Mauritania’s PNDSE III (2023–2030) and Chad’s Projet de renforcement urgent de l’éducation. As a regional platform, it may later welcome other Sahel nations seeking coordinated reform.

This article was initially published in French by Lydie Mobio

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho