President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said Nigeria is currently spearheading the recharge of Lake Chad with 3 other African countries through the construction of 2, 500 kilometres of navigible channels from River Ubangi in the Congo Basin.
According to the President, the planned recharge of the Lake Chad Basin would address environmental problems created by the loss of over 95 percent freshwater from the lake, leading to massive social and economic loss for millions of families who depend on the water for their survival.
Although the President did not give details of the financial implications of the project, he however said the efforts to recharge the water would require “unprecedented levels of political cooperation of member states of the Community of Sahel Saharan States, and technical collaboration and financial partnership from international partners: governments, development institutions and investors”.
President Buhari made the remarks while declaring open the 7th Meeting of the Ministers of Defence of Members States of the Community of Sahel Saharan States (CEN-SAD) holding at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.
Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President Buhari said: ” In the CEN-SAD Community, the Sahara Desert is advancing southwards at an alarming rate of approximately 600 meters annually. A typical example is the shrinking of Lake Chad due to climate change and human overuse.
“From about 25,000 square kilometers in 1963, Lake Chad, one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes, has shrunk by 95 percent to a current size of about 1,300 square kilometers. There are alarming predictions that the lake may indeed, dry up completely in 20 years.
“The Lake Chad Basin which straddles 4 nations in the Community previously supported more than 30 million inhabitants in its vicinity. The shrinking Lake Chad provides a graphic example of the notorious nexus between the environment and human conflict.
“There are strong indications that much of the violent conflicts in the Community can be linked to the passive and active resource conflicts associated with the shrinking Lake. People whose ancestors made a comfortable living off the land and water, as farmers and fishermen, are now confronted with displacement and vastly diminished opportunities.
“In acknowledgement of this nexus, the Nigerian Government is spearheading a collective plan to recharge Lake Chad with water from the Congo Basin by constructing a 2,500 kilometers navigable channel from River Ubangi.
“This project requires unprecedented levels of political cooperation of member states of the Community, and technical collaboration and financial partnership from international partners: governments, development institutions and investors”.
President Buhari argued that the efforts to defeat violent extremism and criminal activities of the Boko Haram insurgent group and other terrorist elements in the Saharan region, should not be restricted to military and security campaigns alone, especially among countries most affected by the crisis.
He said countries within the sub-region should pay attention to other factors that are pushing people into such crimes, while a holistic strategy should be adopted to tackle the security challenges headlong.
Said He : “Indeed, the military aspect of the fight against terrorism is the short-term one; enduring victory will only come from swiftly and diligently building on military victory by implementing, over the long term, policies that comprehensively tackle the poverty, illiteracy and frustration that predispose individuals and communities to imbibing extremist beliefs and ideologies.
“But the narrative is worsened by the fact that violent extremism and terrorism do not walk alone, they are usually to be found interlinked with human trafficking, drug trafficking, illicit trade in drugs and arms, and various other forms of transnational organized crimes”.
President Buhari however expressed joy that the Boko Haram terrorists group has being substantially degraded through the Multi-National Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin and the laudable efforts of the Nigeria military.
He said this development should be built upon by countries in the community especially through intelligence sharing and other collaborative initiatives, describing the theme of the 7th Meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the Community as very apt.
The President said : “Let me specially welcome the representatives of the United Kingdom, China, Saudi Arabia, all Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council, the representative of ECOWAS, as well as other nations and organizations with Observer Status; and commend you for your continuing support for the CEN-SAD. We count on this cooperation and support well into the future.
“The theme of the Meeting, Consolidating the Achievement of the Fight against Terrorism through Development Actions, is especially apt, as it focuses attention on the role of non-military components of the fight against terrorism and extremism.
“If there is one thing we have learned from our experience fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria, it is that the battle is as much social and economic as it is a military one. It was Mr. Ban ki-Moon former UN Secretary General who said famously, that “bullets may stop terrorists, but only development, good governance and respect for human rights can prevent terrorism.”
“Indeed, the military aspect of the fight against terrorism is the short-term one; enduring victory will only come from swiftly and diligently building on military victory by implementing, over the long term, policies that comprehensively tackle the poverty, illiteracy and frustration that predispose individuals and communities to imbibing extremist beliefs and ideologies.
“But the narrative is worsened by the fact that violent extremism and terrorism do not walk alone, they are usually to be found interlinked with human trafficking, drug trafficking, illicit trade in drugs and arms, and various other forms of transnational organized crimes.
“Within the Community, the security challenge has assumed new dimensions since the Arab Spring, with the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in Libya proving to be a watershed moment. Countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria have since then experienced an escalation of the twin global threats of violent extremism and terrorism, among others. This escalation of threats and vulnerabilities in the region has became an immediate and urgent security threat to the Community.
“But it is also encouraging to note that significant progress has been made to contain the terrorist challenges through the individual and collective actions of our respective States and through our respective regional economic communities.
The successes of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in combating the Boko Haram menace in the sub-region has significantly resulted in the degrading of the group, in terms of membership, and of recruitment and combat capabilities. Similarly, the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) with the support of the United Nations and other strategic partners has made impressive progress in the fight against Al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.
“In this ongoing fight against terrorism and violent extremism, the importance of intelligence sharing by member states of the Community has come strongly to the fore, considering the achievements recorded by the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) of the MNJTF in the joint fight against the Boko Haram, as well as the gains made through the Sahel Fusion Liaison Units, which have arisen from the NOA-SHOT-(Nouakchott) Process and the Djibouti Process.
“Also the countries of the Horn of Africa and East Africa have recently launched the East African Fusion Liaison Unit (EA-FLU) in Kampala, Uganda.
“Besides, there have also been the Sharm-El-Sheik decalration of 2016 by the community of Defence Ministers of CEN-SAD reinforcing the cooperation of member states in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism and the Cocody declaration whioch addressed inter-alia the control and regulation of the movement of small arms and light weapons through the borders of member states”.
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali who welcomes delegates to the conference said there is need for concerted efforts by member states of the community to consolidate on the success already recorded in the past few years.
