Chad is set to open its first dedicated journalism and communications institution in October, with Germany and Switzerland supporting the initiative. The Institut Supérieur du Journalisme et de la Communication du Tchad (ISJCT) is being established in N’Djamena by the Chadian NGO Médias pour le Développement (MEDEV).
Behind the initiative is a broader renewal of Germany’s development relationship with Chad. Berlin resumed bilateral development cooperation with the Chadian government in 2025, after such cooperation had ceased in 2008, according to Germany’s development agency GIZ. The agency has maintained a presence in Chad for decades and has had an office in N’Djamena since 1986.
GIZ’s current cooperation with Chad focuses on sustainable infrastructure, social development, and economic development and employment. Support for journalism education adds another institutional dimension to that engagement, extending cooperation into the development of professional capacity within the country's media sector.
Specialized journalism education has been limited in Chad, making the creation of a dedicated higher-education institution significant for the local media industry. ISJCT is designed to provide professional training in journalism and communications and will operate from the Chadian capital.
Digital transformation is also becoming part of the training agenda. The institute’s own website lists areas including journalism, digital media, fact-checking and OSINT, reflecting the increasingly technical demands placed on journalists working in a rapidly changing information environment.
Chad’s wider circumstances make the question of reliable information particularly important. The country is dealing with the effects of instability across the Sahel while also facing the consequences of the war in neighboring Sudan. GIZ estimates that more than 1.4 million refugees from Sudan are currently in Chad, placing additional pressure on the country’s institutions and communities.
Regional security dynamics have also reshaped Chad’s external relationships. France completed the withdrawal of its troops from Chad in January 2025, marking another step in the broader reconfiguration of France’s military presence in the Sahel and Central Africa.
Against this changing regional backdrop, Germany is re-engaging with Chad primarily through development cooperation. Infrastructure, social development and economic opportunities remain central areas of its work, while initiatives such as ISJCT focus on strengthening local institutions and professional skills.
The journalism school is therefore only one element of a much broader relationship, but its timing is notable. Germany is rebuilding its development partnership with Chad at a moment when the country is navigating major regional pressures and a changing network of international relationships.
