Yobe State governor and chairman of the Lake Chad Governors’ Forum, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, chaired his first meeting with the Lake Chad Basin Commission at its headquarters in Ndjamena, Chad, as the forum’s chairman.
Speaking during a meeting, he said, “The inaugural engagement between the Lake Chad Basin Governor’s Forum and Lake Chad Basin Commission is very special, being the first since my emergence as the chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Governor’s Forum, placing a greater responsibility on me to reinforce our collective resolve for peace, stabilisation, and prosperity in our region.”
He noted that the outcome of the fifth forum meeting in Maiduguri was built on the pillars of security, cooperation, humanitarian response, sustainable development, and climate resilience, underscoring our collective resolve to move from declarations to delivery.
According to him, “among our major resolutions were the need to enhance the operational capacity of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, deepen cross-border infrastructure development, mobilise finance through the Special Multi-Partner Delivery Fund and the Nexus Funding Facility, and support community-based reintegration and reconciliation policies.”
He said the forum reaffirmed its commitment to tackling emerging threats such as youth radicalisation, illicit arms trade, and ecological degradation.
The governor expressed his commitment to work closely with the Lake Chad Basin Commission, commending the federal government for working towards achieving the ideals of the commission.
“I am pleased to inform the commission that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has recently approved the reconstruction of key roads within the corridors, including the Dikwa–Ngala and Bama–Banki roads under the Dangote Tax Credit Scheme.”
The forum is focused on expanding the reintegration programmes and advocating the reinstatement of donor support to stabilisation programmes, particularly in Niger Republic. These are not just national concerns; they are regional imperatives.
“As we deepen collaboration with the Lake Chad Basin Commission, I urge the commission to continue playing its central coordination role, especially in harmonising our investment efforts and strengthening mechanisms for joint monitoring and accountability.
He added, “As the rainy season sets in, the need for collaborative efforts to strengthen security and empower our people with agricultural inputs to facilitate agricultural production for food sufficiency and security cannot be overemphasised.
Therefore, we should explore the opportunities at our disposal to improve agricultural production and development among the member states to fast-track economic growth,” said Buni.
Earlier, the Governor of N’Djamena, Amina Kodjiana, and the executive secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Development Commission, Amb. Nuhu Mamman commended Governor Buni for his commitment to actualising the commission’s goals.
They also assured their support for Governor Buni’s tenure as chairman of the Lake Chad Governors Forum, which will benefit the member states by promoting regional strategy, stabilisation, and security.
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