By Abdulaziz Mala
Civil society organizations from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger have urged for technological advancement in the Lake Chad region to combat crime and the proliferation of small arms.
The Director-General, Borno State Agency for Great Green Walls, Ambassador Usman Aliyu, made this statement during the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum meeting, hosted by the Yobe State Government.
He emphasized the critical need for regional governments to rehabilitate communities and support an agriculture-driven economy, to reduce dependence on degraded land and provide sustainable livelihoods.
The Chief Executive Officer, System Strategy and Policy Lab, Dr. Murtala Mohammad called on cross-border leadership to develop strategies for empowering the people of the region.
He argued that this would create a disconnect between residents and the financiers of insurgency.
Dr. Mohammad advocated for a centralized coordinating dashboard to track the movement of people and arms, as well as address the interconnected issues of climate change and poverty.
Executive Director of Zenith of the Girl Child and Women Initiative Support (ZEGCAWIS), Aisha Kabu Damboa, urged Lake Chad region governments to strengthen their efforts in unifying their citizens, especially those living in communities near the lake.
She highlighted the importance of security awareness in promoting their safety.
A participant at the Forum emphasized the need to address issues that make youths vulnerable to recruitment by Boko Haram.
He advised governments to meaningfully engage young people in policy discussions, noting their role in both promoting stability and, when neglected, collaborating with terrorist groups.
He concluded by stressing the need for economic opportunities for youth to prevent them from being drawn into extremism.
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