Gov. Buni performed wonders by hosting an international event, 5th edition of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, by Ibrahim Baba Saleh
Although tested at different capacity of political leaderships, from councilor to Governor , State Chairman to National Chairman of-arguably the largest political party in Africa, Governor Mai Mala Buni has performed wonders by successfully hosting the 5th Edition of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum meeting.
It takes series of restless days and sleepless nights, to make venue convenient and up to the taste to accommodate the President, eight governors with their entourages, ministers and legislators, delegates from four different countries, international organizations, civil society organizations, emirs and traditional leaders, participants, and members of the fourth estate, people with diverse backgrounds and cultures, including language barrier, mode of dressings, choice of food among others.
Despite appreciating the fact that the event was sponsored through collaborative efforts of the UNDP, LCBC, African Union, the hosting Governor Mai Mala Buni has displayed uncommon capacity in handling the historic gathering of international outlook through deploying well prepared LOC under the leadership of his SSG Baba Malam Wali mni supported by regimented lieutenants such as Dr Mohammed Goje, Suleiman Dauda and veteran journalist Abdullahi Bego as coordinators of respective sub-committees and many others who operated behind the scene.
The wonders lies not only in the size of the over 1200 participants that physically attended the meeting, but to have gathering of such magnitude not in FCT, the nation’s headquaters, neither in any of the “big cities” not even Kaduna or Kano in the north, but in Maiduguri one of the worst affected areas by the insurgency in Nigeria.
This is because the requirement here surpasses that of the security cover, or security clearance but to convince the International organizations and delegates to come to Maiduguri not for one-off event but engaging 7 days programme.
The week-long event which started with Pre-Forum engagements, to grand opening by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu represented by the Vice President Kashim Shettima, different insightful panelist sessions on diverse topics, and poignant closing remarks by the former Chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, HE Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje took place from January 27 to 31, 2025, at Muhammadu Indimi Hall at the University of Maiduguri.
The sheer scale of the event is a marvel in itself. Venue arrangements were made with full decoration for a 1300-seating capacity hall, while hotel rooms, flight tickets, feeding arrangements, and medical facility were also meticulously organized.
The attention to detail was impressive, with provisions made for live coverage, digital panelist stage, sound systems, translators cooling systems, full security cover and standby toilet cleaning.
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The paperwork, official tags and panel discussions were also expertly handled, demonstrating the speakers and moderators vast knowledge of the subject matter.
The Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum meeting is a critical platform for regional cooperation and sustainable development, with the theme Rebuilding the Lake Chad Basin, consolidating gains, commitment to peace, cross-border cooperation, security, and sustainable development for a resilient community.
With about 1200 participants in attendance, the forum provided a unique opportunity for stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions and shape actionable plans for stabilizing the region.
Governor Buni’s commitment to the success of the forum was evident in physical attendance throughout the event . As the host governor, Buni appeared in the venue with all sense punctuality, in many cases earlier before some participants.
It further demonstrates the Yobe State government’s ability to handle complex event, bring together diverse stakeholders, and drive meaningful discussions and actions. Arising to this achievement, the 5th Edition of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum has set a high standard for Yobe to hosting future intentional events, with a lots of lessons and takeaways from this well attended forum.
Now that Governor emerged as the Chairman of the Lake Chad Basin forum, more action is expected Insha Allah.
Baba Saleh, SSA Media and Public Engagement
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