World Bank Approves $1bn To Improve Security In Lake Chad Region

The World Bank has allocated one billion dollars to bolster resilience and enhance the livelihoods of people affected by the insurgency in Lake Chad.

This announcement was made by Mr. Rasit Pertesv, the bank’s Country Manager for Chad, during the Fourth Lake Chad Governor’s Forum meeting in N’Djamena, Chad.

The forum took place against the backdrop of shifting conflict patterns and emerging challenges that have led to mass displacement, social fabric damage, disrupted public services, and weakened institutional capacities across Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria—the countries affected by the Lake Chad insurgency.

Pertesv highlighted the positive impact of the disbursed funds on revitalizing economic development, job creation, and the overall improvement of the lives of those who have suffered the consequences of the crises.

The financing, provided through the International Development Association with zero-interest, has supported two crucial regional development priorities: livelihood recovery to reduce vulnerability among Lake Chad residents and the expansion of cross-border economic activities in areas such as agriculture, energy, transport, and regional trade.

Praising the regional stability program aimed at restoring and enhancing security in Lake Chad, Pertesv urged increased efforts to achieve sustainable recovery in economically affected areas. The

World Bank has also developed a regional memo for Lake Chad, focusing on a strategic approach to enhance socio-economic conditions, security, and development in the region.

Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, the Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, emphasized the vulnerability of the Lake Chad region due to prevailing poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy.

These conditions create an environment conducive to the rapid spread of extremist ideologies among the region’s communities. The disruption of livelihoods, particularly among the majority youth population engaged in farming and cattle rearing, has made them susceptible to the propaganda of groups like Boko Haram.

Since the development of the Regional Strategy for Stabilisation, Recovery, and Resilience (RS-SRR) in 2018, the strategy has served as a regional framework for addressing the complex security, humanitarian, and development challenges in the Lake Chad region.

It underscores the need for comprehensive, multi-sectoral, and coordinated initiatives at sub-national, national, and cross-border levels to achieve long-term stabilization, recovery, and resilience.

Ambassador Adeoye Bankole, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security at the African Union Commission, commended the Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum as an important platform for promoting sustainable peace and security in the region.

He encouraged further collaboration among member states and international partners to support the forum’s efforts in consolidating peace and creating better opportunities for the people of the Lake Chad Basin.

Njoya Tikum, Director of the UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa, reaffirmed the commitment to support the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in building a brighter future for the region.

The Regional Stabilization Facility, born out of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, has played a crucial role in implementing the RS-SRR, facilitating the return of nearly half a million internally displaced persons to their communities and significantly improving their quality of life.

The Lake Chad Governors Forum, themed “New Opportunities for Peace in a Shifting Security Context,” aims to enhance understanding of emerging security trends in the region and their implications for ongoing efforts to restore state authority. Additionally, it seeks to explore the future of the RS-SRR as it enters its final year of implementation and find ways to scale up initiatives and forge partnerships to address the plight of forcibly displaced people, including refugees and internally displaced persons.