EU, French Devt Agency Meet To Strengthen Economy In Lake Chad Basin

The European Union (EU), the French Development Agency (AFD) and their partners have intensified efforts to strengthen resilience, economic recovery and regional coordination across the Lake Chad Basin through the Inclusive Economic and Social Recovery in the Lake Chad Basin (RESILAC 2) project.

The project, co-funded by the EU and the French Development Agency, has recorded a major milestone with the organisation of its second Regional Steering Committee meeting held under the chairmanship of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).

The just-concluded meeting brought together donors, implementing partners, national authorities and civil society organisations from Cameroon, Nigeria, and Chad to review progress and strengthen collaboration toward sustainable development in the region.

RESILAC 2 is being implemented by a consortium comprising Action Against Hunger, CARE and Groupe URD in partnership with CCFD-Terre Solidaire and 14 national organisations.

At the meeting, the technical director of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), Mr Hycinth Banoueka, described the committee as a platform for dialogue, coordination, and accountability aimed at strengthening regional and national institutional frameworks, analysing recommendations from national committees, and fostering complementarity among participating countries.

He explained that the project was being implemented across three countries, 14 territories, and 171 villages, covering the Far North Region of Cameroon, Borno and Yobe states in Nigeria, and the Lac Province of Chad.

According to him, RESILAC 2 adopts a territorial approach built around three major components: access to basic services and social inclusion; support for actors promoting social cohesion and territorial and natural resource governance; and economic recovery through the promotion of cross-border trade.

Banoueka noted that the integrated strategy is designed to ensure that interventions are tailored to the realities and needs of each local community

He stressed that the LCBC’s leadership role in chairing the Regional Steering Committee marks a major step toward strengthening regional coordination and institutional ownership of the project.

The Steering Committee reviewed progress to date, examined the 2026 programming framework, and identified key adjustments to ensure interventions remain responsive to evolving realities in the field.

The participants also emphasised the need to strengthen synergies with other national and regional initiatives in order to improve the effectiveness and impact of RESILAC’s interventions while reinforcing the resilience of vulnerable communities.

The phase one of RESILAC, implemented between 2018 and 2022, laid the foundation for economic recovery, social cohesion, and sustainable natural resource management across the region.

With a budget of €40 million and an implementation period extending to 2028, RESILAC 2 seeks to build on previous achievements while expanding its activities to reach more than 125,800 beneficiaries. The project will also focus on strengthening local partners’ capacities to ensure long-term, sustainable impact.

Also, the head of Cooperation of the European Union in Chad, Mr Karl Rovert, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting populations affected by crises through the humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach.

He said RESILAC 2 complements ongoing humanitarian assistance provided through EU ECHO services, bilateral support from member states, and European Union backing for the Joint Multinational Force established within the framework of the LCBC.

He added that the project promotes resilience through improved access to livelihoods and services, capacity building for local actors, sustainable resource management, and economic recovery systems adapted to climate change challenges.

Similarly, the country director of the French Development Agency (AFD), Mr Philippe Chodann, stressed the importance of the project’s regional approach, noting that it enables stakeholders to move beyond fragmented responses and address the shared realities confronting communities around the Lake Chad Basin.

He described the strengthening of the regional coordination mechanism as a major achievement for the project.