The Chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has urged member states to strengthen regional cooperation in addressing the pressing challenges of insecurity, food shortages, infrastructure gaps, and climate-related threats facing the Lake Chad region.
Governor Buni made the appeal in N’Djamena, Chad Republic, during the inaugural joint engagement between the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
According to him, “This inaugural engagement is very special to me, being the first since I assumed leadership of the Forum,” Buni said. “It places a greater responsibility on me to reinforce our collective resolve for peace, stabilisation, and prosperity in our region.”
He noted that the resolutions reached during the fifth meeting of the Forum held earlier in Maiduguri were anchored on key pillars such as security cooperation, humanitarian support, sustainable development, and climate resilience.
The governor highlighted the need to boost the capacity of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), improve cross-border infrastructure, and enhance resource mobilisation through international funding mechanisms.
Governor Buni also welcomed the validation of the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience, and the launch of the Support Project for the Restoration of the Ecological and Economic Functions of the Lake Chad Basin.
“These initiatives are expected to improve climate adaptation, promote livelihoods, and strengthen early response capacity in the region,” he said.
He commended the Nigerian government for ongoing support, particularly in infrastructure, and announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved the reconstruction of critical roads within the Lake Chad corridor.
Buni called for joint agricultural support initiatives, saying that improving food production would help tackle food insecurity and promote regional economic recovery.
Earlier, the Governor of N’Djamena, Amina Kodjiana, and the Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Ambassador Nuhu Mamman, commended Governor Buni for his leadership and expressed confidence in the Forum’s renewed direction.
The Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum comprises governors from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, working in collaboration with the Lake Chad Basin Commission to address common challenges affecting the sub-region.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then