Chad gets digital centre to bridge tech divide

By Mthulisi Sibanda, Contributor
Johannesburg, 30 Oct 2025
The centre is equipped with modern computers, reliable internet access, and flexible study areas.
The centre is equipped with modern computers, reliable internet access, and flexible study areas.

The establishment of a digital learning centre, as well as the offering of online training classes, is a significant step forward in empowering Chadian refugees and host communities.

The Iridimi Digital Learning Centre (DLC) is the first of its sort in eastern Chad, Africa's fifth largest country by land area.

DLC was founded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the government of Chad, with financial support from Italy. 

Its mission is to bridge the digital divide and facilitate access to tertiary education, vocational and certified training through accessible and accredited online resources.

The centre is equipped with modern computers, reliable internet access, and flexible study areas.

The digital learning centre, run by Arizona State University and UNHCR, provides online education to 400 refugees and Chadian young people.

Prof. DaoudaAhmat, rector of the Eastern Chad Academy, emphasised the significance of this initiative to the regional educational system.

"The establishment of a digital learning centre is a major step forward in modernising the educational system of the east," he said.

Iridimi DLC will also engage with international institutions such as Cisco Academy, the University of Geneva, and national technical groups to provide office tools, digital literacy, and network computing.

Dossou Patrice Ahouansou, UNHCR senior coordinator, hailed the collaboration for representing the promise of a better future for thousands of young refugees and Chadians.

“By providing access to internationally recognized training without leaving their community, we are giving them the tools to learn and rebuild a better future,” Ahouansou said.

Share

Read more
ITWeb proudly displays the “FAIR” stamp of the Press Council of South Africa, indicating our commitment to adhere to the Code of Ethics for Print and online media which prescribes that our reportage is truthful, accurate and fair. Should you wish to lodge a complaint about our news coverage, please lodge a complaint on the Press Council’s website, www.presscouncil.org.za or email the complaint to enquiries@ombudsman.org.za. Contact the Press Council on 011 484 3612.
Copyright @ 1996 - 2025 ITWeb Limited. All rights reserved.