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)
