From HASSAN JIRGI Maiduguri
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has called for urgent action to address the shrinking of Lake Chad Basin.
Ganduje made the call while at the week-long meeting of the fifth edition of the Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum in Maiduguri.
The former Kano State governor also called for renewed focus on the environmental challenges facing the basin and people living within it.
He reminded the meeting of the vision of LCBC’s founders who sought to address the shrinking of Lake Chad through inter-basin water transfer.
Ganduje pointed out that while security and peace-building efforts are vital, efforts to recharge the lake are equally critical.
He also called for continued advocacy and investment in the inter-basin water transfer project, which involved transferring water from Mbange River in Cameroon to Lake Chad.
The initiative, he said, had faced significant funding challenges but remained a priority for the future of the region’s environment.
“While we focus on the security threats posed by Boko Haram and other groups, we must not forget the importance of recharging Lake Chad,” Ganduje said.
He also suggested exploring additional sources of water for the basin such as transferring water from Rivers Benue, Bongola and Katuna, as part of a comprehensive solution.
The APC boss, however, thanked the host and all partners for their contributions, particularly in the discussions surrounding stabilisation, peace-building and sustainable development in the Lake Chad Basin region.
Ganduje also expressed gratitude to development partners, especially United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, German, UK, Swedish and Netherlands governments for their financial support in implementing the sub-regional stabilisation strategy.
