The Federal Government yesterday, expressed concern over the 40 million livelihoods threatened by the depletion of water resources in the Lake Chad region. It urged international finance institutions and other stakeholders to help in halting the threat.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, said the outrageous narrative in the Lake Chad region made it imperative for concerned institutions and stakeholders to save lives and means of livelihoods within the region.
She appealed to the World Bank, the United Nations, Africa Development Bank, other international institutions and non-governmental organisations for continuous interventions.
The minister made the remarks at Fraser Suites, Abuja, during the inauguration of the Multi-sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) Additional Financing organised by the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC).
She said besides the Lake Chad challenges, states in the Northeast ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgents group needed to be pulled on the path of speedy recovery in terms of education, health, farming, water, sanitation, food security and other economic activities.
She expressed her satisfaction with the implementation of the phases of recovery projects as encapsulated in the 2017 Federal Government, Adamawa, Bono and Yobe states multi-sectoral recovery documents which started with about 200 million dollars.
The minister added that the projects, which were being financed by the World Bank, required the launch of additional financing to ensure the consolidation of the recovery programmes in the affected region and states.
Hajiya Farouq said: “This project was designed within the framework of the Federal Government’s commitment for continued support to the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states by providing humanitarian and long-term economic recovery.