Members of the delegation in N’Djamena
NEDC Delegation Visit To LCBC In N’Djamena, A Golden Step Forward
By Yakubu Uba
A delegation from the North East Development Commission (NEDC) led by the MD/CEO, Mr Mohammed Goni Alkali, has visited the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) headquarters in N’Djamena for partnership in addressing issues related to climate change as it relates to NEDC mandate.
Stakeholders all know that the North East Stabilization and Development Master Plan (NESDMP) was devised to fulfill the NEDC mandate, comprising ‘Protected Environment’ as one of its eleven key pillars, which is categorized into Natural Ecology Conservation, Protection of Species and Ecological Communities, Environmental Protection, Biodiversity, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, and Waste Management.
It’s also well known that the North-East as a region presents a compelling case for environmental concern due to its vast landmass, desertification, pollution, and climate change, as well as the shrinking of Lake Chad, ungoverned spaces, insurgency, and the attendant fragility that undermines food security and security of lives and property. So also agriculture and trade, the two most important livelihood activities sustaining the region, have been greatly undermined.
The region’s heightened herdsmen-farmers conflict is largely ascribable to environmental degradation, Lake Chad’s recession, and human-induced activities such as mining, deforestation, irrigation, and dam constructions.
In light of the aforementioned issues, the NEDC has continued to disseminate its North East Stabilization and Development Master Plan to Development Partners globally for effective implementation, making the visit to LCBC for collaboration very apt.
Currently, the Commission is intensifying the sustainable implementation of programmes tailored to the specific needs of the six states in the region, supplementing humanitarian interventions and disaster support.
The visit by the Commission led by the Managing Director and CEO Mohammed Alkali to the office of Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) at N’Djamena, Chad where the delegation met with the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Amb. Mamman Nuhu who is also the Head of Mission MNJTF is very vital and key for positive results.
Alkali during the visit emphasized the similarity of LCBC’s strategies for recovering the lake Chad basin to those of the NEDC in the recovery of the Northeast region as contained in the Master Plan.
The NEDC views the LCBC as a strategic partner in the quest to actualise its developmental programmes as the regional body’s activities strongly impact on the States of the North East.
The Executive Secretary of LCBC, Amb. Mamman Nuhu acknowledged the fact and promised to come up with some recommendations for effective partnership.
“We certainly have a lot to do together, so at our technical level we will come up with recommendations on how we can work together and form stronger partnership, in order to pitch up the affected period already under Prolac which is called Prolac in all the other countries except Nigeria where it is in support of MCRP and where we have been working closely with all the others, where we have the regional help.”
Amb. Nuhu also pointed out that there is a window for everybody in terms of the 9 pillars out of the 40 strategic objectives of the regional stabilization strategy.
“The only limitation we have is funding, otherwise it is an excellent plan and it is adaptive. It is also inline with the Lake Chad Basin Commission Regional Stabilization Strategy which was developed in the year 2018,” he said.
Alkali’s powerful delegation in N’Djamena which comprised the Executive Director Admin and Finance Dr Abubakar Garba Iliya, Prof. Umar Bobboi, National Coordinator MCRP, Prof. Mohammed Abbagana, Head, Research and Planning, Mohammed Umar Sani, Head, Resettlement and Early Recovery, and Naomi Abwaku of the Commission’s Corporate Services Department will also be participating in the 3rd Annual International Forum on the Development of the Lake Chad Basin.
The theme of Forum, “Enhancing Local Governance and Social Cohesion for Socio-Economic Development, and Food Security in Changing in the Lake Chad Region” is another way forward in shaping the task ahead for all stakeholders.
