AfDB: We’ve committed over $2bn in 20 years to support victims of Lake Chad crisis

The African Development Bank (AfDB) says it has committed more than $2 billion to support 15.3 million people affected by crises in the Lake Chad Basin within two decades.

Speaking on Wednesday during a panel session at the ongoing 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, Riadh Messaoud, lead coordinator for West and Central Africa at AfDB, said the bank had provided a $2.8 million grant to strengthen the Lake Chad Basin Commission’s (LCBC) internal capacity.

He noted that the bank’s continuous support of the LCBC underscores its contributions to the development of the regional stabilisation strategy (RSS).

“In addition to its direct technical support, the AfDB has mobilised more than two billion dollars in investments over the past two decades,” Messaoud said.

“This programme aimed at combating land degradation, deforestation, and preserving biodiversity has benefited over 15 million people in the region.”

He said the AfDB had also integrated socio-economic stabilisation measures, including the rehabilitation of schools and health centres into its infrastructure investments to foster community empowerment.

The AfDB lead coordinator emphasised the need for stakeholders to prioritise prevention over crisis management and called for more private sector engagement in ensuring the sustainability of development efforts across the region.

“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.

“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.”

Anka Feldhusen, director for civilian crisis prevention and stabilisation at the German federal foreign office, called on the four LCB countries—Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger—to align their planning with the revised Territorial Action Plans (TAPs).

Feldhusen urged stakeholders to prioritise the joint provision of TAPs as the central framework for future development and stabilisation.

“The leadership of the Lake Chad Basin Commission 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.

“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.”

There has been protracted conflict between military forces and non-state armed groups within the region, with thousands of civilians being displaced, killed or subjected to torture.

The dispute has expanded into the northern region of Cameroon, western Chad, and south-east Niger Republic, with over 37,500 people killed between May 2011 and July 31, 2020.