Hint of Hope

Along with curbing insecurity in the terror-ravaged Northeast Nigeria, top on the bucket list of state and non-state actors is to enhance resilience capacities of affected communities in the region in engendering sustainable peace and development. This also prioritises efforts at ameliorating attendant humanitarian crisis in the area.

In order to shape policy towards a common regional approach to the overall stabilization of the Lake Chad Basin, the Lake Chad Basin Governors’s Forum was inaugurated in 2018. With the governors of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states and their counterparts in neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad; governors of Extreme North and North Region of Cameroon, governor of Diffa, Niger, and governors of Hadjer Lamis and Lac Regions of Chad. The goal of the eight governor’s forum, with support from the African Union (AU) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is for recovery and resilience in areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

Following the inaugural meeting, the forum along with civil society groups and other international stakeholders is converging for the second time in Niamey, Niger Republic from 16- 18 July 2019. The three-day event is a platform to brainstorm on strategic plan for the stabilization and development of the lake Chad region.

Recharging the Lake Chad holds that the participation of communities around the Lake Chad Basin is vital for decision-making processes and key in successful policy implementation in the areas. It also called on member countries of the Lake Chad Basin to borrow from the strategies and policies of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) with the objectives to improving the ecological and socio-economic situation in the Lake Chad Basin. This is because sustainable resilience strategies cannot be achieved without a people-centred approach.

R2P, Stabilisation and the North-East suggests that the instrumentality of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) be effectively utilised in coordinating stakeholders working in Nigeria North-east. Coordinated efforts ensures that all parties are up to speed in terms of stated objectives and strategies for successful intervention strategy. A robust synergy of relevant stakeholders will greatly impact on successful resilience and stabilisation programmes in the terror-ridden North-east region.