The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has commended the hosting of the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum aimed at promoting regional cooperation.

CISLAC also commended the emergence of Governor Mala Buni of Yobe as the forum’s new chairman, according to a statement on Saturday in Lagos by Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), the centre’s executive director.

According to Mr Musa, the milestone of the fifth meeting underscores the collective commitment of regional leaders towards addressing the multi-faceted challenges, including security, climate change, economic development, and humanitarian crises bedevilling the region.

“We recognise and appreciate the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), and the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) for their unwavering support of this initiative and their broader commitment to foster peace, stability and development across Africa.

“Their role in strengthening regional governance, enhancing cross-border cooperation, and facilitating conflict resolution is critical in addressing the deep-rooted crises affecting communities in the Lake Chad Basin,” he said.

At a time when tensions among ECOWAS member states pose a significant threat to regional stability, Mr Musa urged stakeholders to prioritise diplomacy, dialogue and cooperation over conflict.

“A divided region weakens the collective ability to confront common challenges such as terrorism, climate change and economic hardship.

“The Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum should serve as a model for regional cooperation, where shared interests outweigh individual political differences,” he said.

He further observed that the persistence of Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency continued to threaten millions of lives across Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

The CISLAC boss said that while military efforts have played a crucial role, sustainable peace would only be achieved through stronger regional coordination, intelligence-sharing, and investment in community-led stabilisation programmes.

Mr Musa advised the forum to continue to push for better governance, socio-economic opportunities, and rehabilitation programmes to counter extremist recruitment and reintegrate former combatants.

On climate change, Mr Musa highlighted that the shrinking of Lake Chad, which lost 90 per cent of its original size since the 1960s, has led to water scarcity, displacement and food insecurity, exacerbating regional conflicts.

“CISLAC, therefore, calls for urgent climate adaptation policies, sustainable water management and increased investment in climate resilience programmes to protect the livelihoods of communities that depend on the lake.

“The international community must do more to support the region in adapting to the devastating impact of climate change,” he said.

The forum meeting held between January 29 and 31 in Maiduguri attracted political and community leaders, UN agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, academia, and environment and economic experts.

(NAN)