5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum holds Jan. 29 in Maiduguri
The 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum will hold from January 29-31 in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
The theme of the meeting is ‘Rebuilding the Lake Chad Basin: Consolidating Gains, Commitment to Peace, Cross-Border Cooperation, Security and Sustainable Development for a Resilient Community.’
The Forum is an important cross-border political platform which brings together key stakeholders from regions most affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
The current crisis is further complicated by other socio-economic factors including extreme poverty, underdevelopment, climate change and other conflicts.
The impacts range from massive internal and cross-border displacement, the destruction of the social fabric and property, human rights abuses, disrupted public services, and limited capacities of government institutions.
As of August 2024, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon were hosting an estimated 6 million affected individuals, including refugees, returnees, and internally displaced people.
Of the affected populations, 13% are in Cameroon, 9% in Niger, 5% in Chad and 74% in Nigeria.
This year’s Forum will seek to enhance understanding of the current security and humanitarian trends and the implications for ongoing efforts for restoration of state authority in the region, among other issues.
