68th Session of the LCBC Council of Ministers in Abuja: National Experts Preparatory Meeting officially launched
The preparatory meeting of Experts from LCBC Member States, ahead of the 68th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the Commission, followed by the 16th Ordinary Summit of LCBC Heads of State and Government, opened on Thursday 24 November in Abuja, Nigeria,
The meeting, attended by the Focal Points of LCBC member countries, namely Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic and Libya, which is returning after a decade of absence, with the presence of its First Secretary at the Embassy to Nigeria.
During the three days of work, the Experts will follow presentations and lead discussions on documents to contribute to the proper functioning of the Commission as well as on the security situation in the Lake Chad Basin. These are the 2022 Activity Report, the 2023 Work Programme and Budget (PTBA), LCBC audit reports, etc.
In his address, Ambassador Mamman NUHU, Executive Secretary of LCBC, Head of Mission, welcomed the participants while recalling the heavy task facing the National Experts to produce a quality report that will determine the outcome of the 16th Ordinary Summit of LCBC Heads of State and Government.
Despite the complex and multifaceted challenges facing the world in general and the Sahel region with abundant and erratic rainfall, intense and frequent droughts, floods and land degradation, the Executive Secretary said there is still hope for growth, security and prosperity if more concerted efforts are made to manage and mitigate conflicts. distribute resources and ensure food security.
Opening the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Esther Didi WALSON Jack, mni, representative of the Federal Minister of Water Resources, First Commissioner of Nigeria to the LCBC, Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu, wished everyone a warm welcome. She first reminded the audience that the Lake Chad Basin is an area whose fragility has been aggravated by the combined effect of the impact of climate change and unsustainable human activities. These activities have reduced the capacity of Lake Chad and its resources to sustainably support the more than 40 million people who depend on it for their livelihoods, thereby increasing poverty and general insecurity in the region.
She further stated that she had no doubt that the National Experts would carry out their work with the utmost dedication and make recommendations that would help the Council of Ministers to adopt resolutions that would strengthen the Commission in the interest of all the populations of the basin.
She concluded by thanking the Commission’s technical and financial partners for their invaluable contribution to the achievement of our organization’s missions, and requested their continued support to help LCBC achieve its objectives.
It should be noted that this meeting of Experts will be followed on 28 November 2022, also in Abuja, by the work of the 68th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the Commission. On this occasion, the Commissioners will examine and adopt the 2022 Activity Report, the PTBA 2023, the draft Declaration as well as the draft joint final communiqué to be submitted to the LCBC Heads of State and Government at their 16th Ordinary Summit on Tuesday 29 November 2022.
The LCBC is a grouping of 6 member countries that pool their efforts to ensure successful regional integration in the Lake Chad region in peace, security, socio-economic development and stability.
