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President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday drew global attention to the saddening and deplorable socio-economic conditions of the people in the Lake Chad basin with a call for stronger commitments to address the issues.
The Lake is located in the region which is home to over 45 million people and forms the source of economic activities for the people.
Once regarded as the “oasis in the desert ” and shared by Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the Lake Chad was once used as hub for Agricultural activities including Fisheries and Livestock,
The lake also serves as source of economic activities for farmers, fishermen, herdsmen and traders
Recent reports by the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, according to President Buhari shows that Food security has deteriorated in the region with more than 7 million people facing the threat of famine and half a million children suffering from severe malnutrition
The report also show that fishermen have become jobless as fish varieties are no longer available as the lake shrinks daily, even as farmers and herdsmen struggle over the little water left.
The report also show that recent increase in herdsmen/ farmers clashes is also hinged on increased migration by the herders in search of greener pastures resulting in conflicts.
The situation in region, according to the UN report, has also forced youths in the region to to join terrorist groups because of lack of jobs and difficult economic conditions, which has resulted in serious instability in the sub-region.
These negative effects of the shrinkage of Lake Chad are indeed enormous, according to President Buhari, calling for strong global synergy to check the situation from further deterioration
Buhari noted that despite the efforts of his administration to help boast economic activities in the region through various initiatives, several gaps still exist.
“I am convinced that this Conference will not just be another ‘talk shop’ but will be a platform to re-launch our partnership and commitment to our continent and the Basin in particular
“Let Abuja be the starting point of this commitment and we will call this “The Abuja Declaration.” Abuja Declaration will be a benchmark and the bedrock upon which future engagements on restoring the Lake would be built.
“It will also serve as a fundamental and landmark document which will contain basic principles that can be used as a yardstick for holistic development model for the Basin”
He declared that the Abuja model will be useful especially for policy and decision makers, Development partners, Donors Agencies, Investors, Researchers and Institutions.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
