Over the past fifteen years, the Lake Chad Basin region has been heavily impacted by the Boko Haram conflict. The current crisis is further compounded by various socio-economic factors, including extreme poverty, underdevelopment, climate change, and other conflicts. These factors have led to large-scale internal and cross-border displacement, the destruction of social fabric and property, human rights abuses, disrupted public services, and limited government institutional capacities.

To address the security and conflict challenges, in 2015, the pre-existing Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) was remodeled and reactivated to launch a military counter-offensive against Boko Haram. Following the establishment and success of the MNJTF, in 2018 the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) developed the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery, and Resilience of the Boko Haram-affected areas of the Lake Chad Basin Region (RS SRR), with support from the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The RS SRR provides a robust framework to tackle the region’s complex and urgent security, humanitarian, and development challenges. It recognizes the need for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, and coordinated set of sub-national, national, and cross-border efforts to achieve long-lasting stability and resilience throughout the Lake Chad Basin (LCB).

The RS SRR is grounded in inclusivity, local ownership, and a new way of working, and it has been localized through Territorial Action Plans (TAPs) in the eight territories most affected by Boko Haram.

Six years into the RS SRR’s implementation, significant progress has been made. There are now several pockets of stabilization in the region, as military efforts have been complemented by community rebuilding and the restoration of social order. The strategy has become a locally anchored, multi-partner effort that has helped rebuild the social contract between governments and local communities by providing essential infrastructure, basic services, security, and livelihood opportunities. People who faced multiple displacements over the years have begun returning home. Markets are reopening, facilitating trade and economic growth, and social infrastructure—including schools, clinics, and permanent housing—has been rehabilitated or reconstructed. Meanwhile, individuals exiting Boko Haram-controlled areas have spurred a need for accelerated reconciliation and rehabilitation initiatives. These developments lay the groundwork for social cohesion and sustainable peace.

The strategy has also seen success in developing and harmonizing regional policies, sharing best practices, and producing evidence-based research to inform policymaking.

Nevertheless, despite these achievements, Boko Haram factions continue to cause instability through violence and sporadic attacks on communities. The intertwining of crime and terror by these groups, along with other criminal actors, the farmer-herder crisis, increasingly severe impacts of climate change (including environmental degradation), and rapid population growth further exacerbate the security situation. In response, the RS SRR has been reviewed and updated to reflect the current circumstances and the priorities of governments and communities.

In pursuit of additional solutions to the region’s challenges, the LCBC is convening the 5th Edition of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, in collaboration with the AU and UNDP. This forum presents an opportunity for all stakeholders—including Governors, state/national governments of the four member states, regional economic communities, local and national civil society organizations (CSOs), UN entities, national and international NGOs, research and education institutions, international governments and donor partners, as well as other financial and technical partners—to examine and propose pathways toward sustainable peace and development in the region.

The forum, which is an integral part of the RS SRR, has served as the most significant political platform for cross-border and regional dialogue among various stakeholders. It remains the primary venue for political engagement on regional issues.

Objectives

The overarching objective of the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum is to facilitate dialogue, coordination, and cross-border cooperation through the Governors’ offices among the eight territories, offering a space for multi-stakeholder engagement to consolidate gains and advance regional collaboration on the RS SRR’s priority areas.

Specific Objectives

Under the theme “Rebuilding the Lake Chad Basin: Consolidating Gains, Commitment to Peace, Cross-Border Cooperation, Security, and Sustainable Development for a Resilient Community,” the Forum seeks to:

1. Enhance understanding of current security and humanitarian trends in the region and their implications for ongoing efforts to restore state authority.
2. Discuss approaches to handling exits from Boko Haram, as well as opportunities related to the demobilization of government-affiliated armed groups (CJTF, vigilantes, etc.), including their contributions to social cohesion and transitional justice.
3. Examine opportunities and challenges for accelerating TAP implementation, emphasizing partnerships and collaboration to mobilize resources for TAPs and RS SRR.
4. Assess the role of cross-border trade in supporting socio-economic recovery and advancing regional cooperation.
5. Explore key strategies to strengthen the role of CSOs—including youth-led and women-led organizations—in RS SRR resource mobilization and implementation.
6. Discuss the impacts of illicit drug trafficking and drug abuse on violent extremism, and explore prevention strategies that involve youth and women.
7. Address food insecurity by identifying ways to build resilient food systems in the face of climate change—paving the way toward sustainable solutions.
8. Examine challenges and opportunities for adopting durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in the Lake Chad region.

Expected Outputs

Forum participants will:

• Assess progress made thus far.
• Align on a shared understanding of the Lake Chad Basin’s current trajectory.
• Develop programmatic and policy recommendations for enhancing regional cooperation, stabilization, long-term peace, and sustainable development.

Methodology for the Fifth Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum

Building on lessons learned from previous gatherings—especially the 3rd and 4th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forums—the 5th Edition will prioritize inclusive participation from regional actors. It will be preceded by a two-day Pre-Forum, featuring a CSO forum, a regional meeting of traditional leaders and customary authorities, a closed-door technical session with experts from the Governors’ offices, and Pre-forum side events.

Participation

Participants will include representatives from the state/national governments of the four member countries, Regional Economic Communities, national and international NGOs and CSOs, traditional leaders, UN agencies, donors, research and education institutions, and other financial and technical partners.