UN officials visit Bama as 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum begins in Borno
As the fifth Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum begins on 29 to 31 January in Maiduguri, the United Nations mission visited Bama for Regional Cooperation on Stabilisation, Peacebuilding, and Sustainable Development in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
The UN team was led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mr Leonardo Santos Simão, the SRSG for the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Mr Abdou Abarry, and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr Mohamed M. Fall.
The officials highlighted the steady progress made in Bama, which includes joint government, UN and partners’ efforts to provide Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with humanitarian assistance and livelihood support and initiatives enhancing social cohesion and reintegration through social and economic activities.
They also noted the challenges that remain, including violence, the threat posed by the climate crisis, and inadequate basic services.
The officials visited a centre equipping young girls and boys with livelihood skills run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and a UNICEF-run social cohesion project at the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) camp.
They also visited a nutrition centre supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) where malnourished children are receiving treatment.
The officials also spoke with women and adolescent girls at a UNHCR/GISCOR Safe Space and met with representatives of humanitarian agencies in Bama. They also paid a courtesy call on the Shehu of Bama Dr Umar Kyari Umar El-kanemi.
“I returned to Bama today, eight years since my last visit – which was a few months after it was liberated from the insurgency. A lot has changed since then, with marked improvement in the lives of people affected by the crisis.
“While there is still work to be done to address insecurity and its impact on civilians, I thank the Borno State authorities, donors, UN agencies and partners for their commitment and dedication through this journey that has made Bama what it is today.
“I also call for sustained support to address the remaining challenges,” said the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall.
Bama town remains vulnerable to attacks by non-state armed groups due to its proximity to the Sambisa Forest.
This has made it difficult for communities to carry out livelihood activities, including farming, fishing and firewood collection, increasing their dependence on humanitarian assistance.
Bama illustrates the situation of many communities across the Lake Chad Basin impacted by 16 years of conflict in the region.
The fifth Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum aims to foster dialogue, coordination and cross-border cooperation among state and national governments, the UN, regional economic communities, civil society organizations, and other partners to address the pressing challenges facing the region and to devise strategies for long-term stability and development.
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