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AfDB spends $2bn on Lake Chad’s stability efforts – Official
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed more than 2 billion dollars in supporting 15.3 million people affected by crises in Lake Chad Basin within a decade.
Lead Coordinator for West and Central Africa at AfDB, Dr Riadh Ben Messaoud, shared the bank’s accomplishments at Panel Session in the ongoing 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
Messaoud said the bank’s continuous involvement with the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) since 2018, underscoring its significant contributions to the development of the Regional Stabilisation Strategy (RSS).
He said that the bank had provided a technical assistance grant of 2.8 million dollars to strengthen the LCBC’s internal capacity for implementing the strategies.
“In addition to its direct technical support, the AfDB has mobilised more than 2 billion dollars in investments over the past two decades.
“This programme aimed at combating land degradation, deforestation, and preserving biodiversity, has benefited over 15 million people in the region,” Messaoud said.
He said the AfDB had also integrated socio-economic stabilisation measures into its infrastructure investments.
“One example is the 32 million euro bridge project, linking Cameroon and Chad, where the AfDB deliberately included elements such as the rehabilitation of schools, health centres and women’s associations to foster community empowerment alongside physical infrastructure development,” he said.
Messaoud, however, expressed confidence in the revised RSS, which emphasised local solutions, gender equality, and the involvement of civil society and the traditional leaders.
He stressed the need for prioritising prevention over crisis management and called for greater private sector engagement in ensuring the sustainability of development efforts across the region.
“The strategy is a living framework that will not only guide our actions but also serve as a platform for resource mobilisation and partnerships to drive successful outcomes,” he added.
Also speaking, Anka Feldhusen, Director for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Stabilisation at the German Federal Foreign Office, called for stronger regional cooperation and urged stakeholders to prioritize the joint provision of Territorial Action Plans (TAPs) as the central framework for future development and Stabilisation.
Feldhusen emphasised the critical need for national governments of the four Lake Chad Basin countries Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger to align their planning with the TAP revision process.
“The leadership of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and the governors has been exceptional, but the success of our collective efforts depends on our willingness to collaborate on making the Territorial Action Plans vehicles for coherent and strategically focused action,” Feldhusen said.
She pointed out that the role of additional funding mechanisms as critical, especially Special Multiparty Delivery Fund and the new Nexus Funding Facility, which were set to be launched at the forum’s meeting.
“These financial instruments, she said, would work alongside the TAPs to support the operationalisation of the revised strategy and enhance regional cooperation.
“To use this overall architecture effectively and cooperate with key programmes in the region will allow us to move forward into the second phase of the strategy,” she said.
Feldhusen also announced the launch of an initiative focused on “peace positive financing” to support fragile states, as Germany assumed the chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission on January 30.
According to her, the initiative in collaboration with AfDB and other international institutions, aims to leverage blended finance to derisk investments in the local private sector and promote long-term peacebuilding efforts in conflict-affected regions.
She expressed optimism that the initiative and the African Union Peace Fund combined would strengthen the region’s stability and development efforts.
Feldhusen, therefore, called for a unified action and increased investment in the region’s peace and development.
“Together, we can ensure a successful and sustainable future for the Lake Chad Basin,” she added. (NAN)
The Assembly of Councillors in Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi State has removed the local government Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Beli, and his Deputy, Hon. Usman Adamu, from office.
Their removal followed a committee investigation that found them guilty of gross misconduct, financial mismanagement, failure to perform their duties, and abuse of office.
A resolution signed by 10 councillors, including the council leader Hon. Wali Adamu and his deputy, officially declared the offices of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman vacant with immediate effect.
The resolution explained that, “The removal of the Chairman and his deputy is based on the findings of the investigation committee, which has established that the chairman and his deputy were engaged in financial, mismanagement, failed to perform their duties, breached the trust placed on them, and abused their office.”
While briefing journalists of this development, the Council Leader explained that both Beli and Adamu have faced increasing scrutiny for their management of the local government’s affairs.
He claimed that they have failed to perform their duties and have severely breached the trust placed in them by the people of Shira despite several warnings, and they can no longer afford to tolerate such conduct.
All efforts to get the reaction of Beli and Adamu have proved abortive so far.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu says Nigerians are unfair to former military president, Ibrahim Babangida following the recent release of his memoir.
In the 420-page memoir titled, A Journey in Service: An Autobiography of Ibrahim Babangida’, the former military leader admitted that MKO Abiola won the 1993 election his government annulled.
His admission after 32 years generated different reactions across the country, with some critics saying that it was coming too late.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Uzor Kalu, who represents Abia North in the Senate, said that Nigerians are not being fair to Babangida.
“On the Babangida’s book, I think Nigerians are very unfair to Babangida because he came out on his own,” the former Abia State governor said on the programme.
“When I say the story is not complete, I wanted President Babangida to write more of the stories because the stories have not finished. There is more to the story, there are officers who told Babangida you cannot hand over to this man.”
Senator Kalu said that Babangida came out on his own to say what many people have not dared to say for a long time.
He said that Babangida in his book disclosed that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo coup, “a sin” which he said people have held against the Igbos for many years.
‘IBB should write a second book’
Senator Orji Kalu said that there is a need for Babangida to write a second book which will contain roles that other top military officers played in the June 1993 election fallout.
According to him, Babangida himself was in danger at the time considering the way he left power.
“More military people that were there should talk about this. There should be a second part of the book because if you mention only one name or two, it is not complete,” he said.
“They should go all hog and tell Nigerians the truth. Babangida should write a second book, I know that Babangida was in danger throughout those periods. If you remember the way he left power, you will know something was wrong.”
The annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election between Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and his main challenger Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC) has remained a controversial political discussion in Nigeria.
The Federal Government, the European Union, International IDEA, and other stakeholders have emphasised the need for the enforcement of laws and policies addressing sexual offences and gender-based violence. They also stressed the importance of protecting vulnerable Nigerians.
This call was made at the 2nd Annual Conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs in Abuja, themed ‘Sub-National Policy and Practice for Enhancing Rights, Protection, and Justice for Women, Children, and Persons with Disabilities.’ The conference was organised by the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC-Phase II) Programme of International IDEA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
Concerned by the low levels of inclusion for women, children, and persons with disabilities (PWD) in national affairs, stakeholders gathered to strategise on ways to advocate for vulnerable citizens in Nigeria. They noted that achieving gender equality requires transforming social norms and power dynamics that support the political, social, and economic empowerment of the most marginalised, especially women, children, and PWD.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by her Senior Special Assistant on Women and Community Engagement, Princess Joan Jummai Idonije, stated that this year’s theme, “Accelerate Action,” is particularly relevant. It emphasises the need for renewed commitment and bold action to tackle gender parity issues.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim reiterated the importance of critically evaluating Nigeria’s policies and governance structures to ensure that interventions lead to tangible outcomes, particularly at the sub-national level where the needs are most urgent.
“We must ensure that every intervention is tracked, evaluated, and reported. Investing in state-level gender data systems will help us measure progress and feed into the national Women’s Empowerment and Protection Dashboard, ensuring accountability and transparency in our collective efforts,” she stressed.
She also appreciated RoLAC and other development partners’ continued support of women, children, and vulnerable groups. She commended State Commissioners for Women’s Affairs for their leadership and dedication to advancing gender equality at the sub-national level.
Danladi Plang, Head of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, urged state Commissioners to pursue the enactment and implementation of relevant laws for women, children, and PWD. He called on authorities to allocate resources and make investments to ensure the sector thrives beyond political rhetoric.
“The core objectives of the Rule of Law Programme are to increase access to justice for women, children, and persons with disabilities. Since 2017, in collaboration with the European Union, we have been implementing this programme across several states. We’ve supported the creation of legislation such as the Child Protection Law and the VAPP Law in various states,” Plang said.
He further explained that state ministries and commissioners are crucial in influencing policy implementation and serving as catalysts for change within their cabinets.
In an interview at the event, Plang disclosed that the Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) have assisted over 8,000 survivors. “Last year, we commissioned the NCPWD to ensure office buildings are accessible, and we’ve continued advocating for legislative changes with Commissioners to ensure that vulnerable groups are supported,” he said.
Oluwatoyosi Giwa, Project Manager of the Access to Justice RoLAC Programme, emphasised the conference’s goal to produce action plans that would directly benefit vulnerable citizens.
“By the end of these three days, we hope to develop actionable strategies that Commissioners can implement in their states to improve the lives of women, children, and persons with disabilities,” Giwa said. “Let us speak our truth and share our experiences so we can learn from one another and bring back tangible solutions.”
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, noted that many Nigerian states have enacted laws for women.