• Holds first international forum in Borno

Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

The United Nations has said it is seeking practical approaches to addressing the violence in the Lake Chad Basin and ensure the stability of the region.

The UN through its Development Programme (UNDP) said on Wednesday in Maiduguri at a joint Press Conference with Borno State government that it was organizing a two-day international forum of governors from the Lake Chad Basin region in Maiduguri, Borno’s capital.

“International concern on addressing the regional dimension of the insurgency is growing. The UN Security Council Resolution 2349 (2017) on Boko Haram and Lake Chad Basin was adopted by the security council at its 7911th meeting of March 2017 following the visit to the Lake Chad Regions,” UNDP Communication Analyst, Eno Jonathan said at the press conference.

She said the resolution of the UN Security Council gave birth to the formation of the Lake Chad Governors’ Forum, which involves governors of three northeast States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe affected by insurgency. Other members, according to Jonathan, include governors of regions in Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

“The forum will hold on 8th and 9th May, 2018,” she disclosed.

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She said the forum was expected to come out with a “bottom-up approach” that will bridge the gap between local and international efforts to stabilize the Lake Chad Basin, including development of stabilization strategy for the area.

“It is also expected to promote cross-border cooperation around stabilization, peace building and conflict prevention at the sub-national level,” she said.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Dr Ibn Chambers, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa (UNOCA), Francois Lounceny Fall, and Amb Zainab Nyiramatama, Special Representative of the African Union (SRCC), will attend the forum, the UNDP said.

The Borno State Government says that it was collaborating with the UN to host the event.

Commissioner of information, Dr Mohammed Bulama, represented by a special adviser to the governor on information, Tukur Mshelia, said 40 million across Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and the Central African Republic who depend on the Lake for survival are at risk.

He called for support to the region.