Rebuilding the Lake Chad Basin
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MEDIA ADVISORY | |
WHAT? | 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum in Nigeria Theme: Rebuilding the Lake Chad Basin: Consolidating Gains, Commitment to Peace, Cross-Border Cooperation, Security, and Sustainable Development for a Resilient Community. |
WHO? | H.E. Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, Executive Secretary, Lake Chad Basin Commission H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, African Union Commission H.E. Hon. Mai Mala Buni, Governor, Yobe State, Nigeria H.E. Hon. Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor, Borno State, Nigeria H.E. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Governor, Adamawa State, Nigeria H.E. Abate Edi’i Jean, Governor, North Region, Cameroon H.E. Midjiyawa Bakari, Governor, Far North Region, Cameroon H.E. General Ibrahim Mahamat Bagadoma, Governor, Diffa Region, Niger H.E. Ildjima Abdraman, Governor, Hadjer Lamis Region, Chad H.E. Saleh Haggar Tidjani, Governor, Lac Province, Chad H.E. Annika Hahn-Englund, Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria Ms. Anka Feldhusen, Director for Crisis Prevention and Stabilization, Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany Ms. Cynthia Rowe, Development Director, British High Commission, Nigeria Mr. Matthias Naab, Director, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa Mr. Njoya Tikum, Director, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa, Resident Representative, UNDP Senegal Ms. Elsie Attafuah, Resident Representative, UNDP Nigeria |
WHEN? | January 29–31, 2025 |
WHERE? | Borno State, Nigeria |
WHY? | The 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, hosted by the Yobe State Government in collaboration with the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), offers a key platform to enhance dialogue, coordination, and cross-border cooperation across the region. It will review RS-SRR progress, address challenges, and propose strategies for sustainable peace and stability. Pre-Forum activities on January 27–28 include a CSO Forum, a regional workshop on managing armed groups, and a capacity-building session for traditional leaders to promote social cohesion and prevent violent extremism, enriching the main Forum with inclusive insights. |
The Forum will convene governors from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, representing the four countries and eight territories severely affected by the Boko Haram crisis. Regional and international partners will also participate to strengthen collaboration and accelerate efforts toward stabilization, recovery, and resilience in the Lake Chad Basin.
This event will evaluate progress under the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery, and Resilience (RS-SRR), which over the last six years has achieved infrastructure rehabilitation, the return of displaced populations, and economic revitalization, which includes reopening markets to boost trade and livelihoods among many
Exploring innovative solutions for sustainable peace and development, key discussions will focus on:
- Reaffirming commitment to peace and stability
- Enhancing cross-border cooperation
- Empowering communities, particularly women-led and youth-led initiatives
- Preventing violent extremism and combatting drug trafficking
This Forum is a call to action to turn challenges into opportunities, driving stability, resilience, and prosperity for the Lake Chad Basin.
MEDIA ACCREDITATION
We invite media representatives to cover this landmark event. Accredited journalists will have access to the forum and an opportunity to interview and engage with high-level officials during the forum press conference.
Please confirm your participation by January 17, 2025, to facilitate the accreditation process.
For media inquiries and requests for interviews, please contact:
- Lawrence Neba, Communications Analyst, UNDP Cameroon | lawrence.neba@undp.org
- Scheherazade Bouabid, Regional Stabilization Facility Communications Specialist, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa | scheherazade.bouabid@undp.org
- Fajong Joseph Lereh, Communication Expert, Lake Chad Basin Commission | j.fajong@cblt.org
- Christabel Chanda Ginsberg, Public Engagement, Outreach and Partnerships Lead, UNDP Nigeria | christabel.chanda-ginsberg@undp.org
- Ugochukwu Kingsley Ahuchaogu, Head of Communications and Regional Communications Analyst, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa and UNDP Senegal | ugochukwu.kingsley@undp.org
Note to editors:
About the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery, and Resilience
The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) was established on May 22, 1964, to manage Lake Chad and its shared water resources, preserve the ecosystem, and promote regional integration, peace, security, and sustainable development in the Lake Chad region. To help address the evolving challenges in the region, the LCBC developed the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery, and Resilience (RS-SRR), which was endorsed by the African Union in 2018 and revised in 2024 to tackle the complex security, humanitarian, and development issues facing the Lake Chad Basin. It promotes a coordinated, multisectoral approach across subnational, national, and cross-border initiatives to achieve long-term stabilization, recovery, and resilience.
Learn more at: www.cblt.org
About the African Union Commission
The African Union Commission (AUC) serves as the secretariat of the African Union, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AUC oversees the Union's daily activities, represents the AU under the guidance of its Assembly and Executive Council, and acts as the custodian of the AU Constitutive Act and other legal instruments.
Learn more at: https://au.int/en/commission
About the United Nations Development Programme and the Regional Stabilization Facility
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end poverty, inequality, and climate change. With a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, UNDP helps nations build integrated and sustainable solutions for people and the planet. In 2019, UNDP launched the Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) in partnership with the LCBC. The facility is a funding mechanism supported by international donors and regional and national partners. The facility focuses on areas affected by Boko Haram with time-bound, localized, and integrated interventions to re-establish state presence, improve security, and rebuild the social contract between communities and governments.
Learn more at: www.undp.org/africa/waca and https://www.undp.org/africa/waca/undp-regional-stabilization-facility
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