LCBC Hosts Regional Workshop on Research Priorities for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience

Abuja, Nigeria  9–11 September 2026. The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) brought together nearly 40 researchers, university representatives, think tanks, civil society actors and development partners in Abuja this week for the Regional Workshop on Research Priorities for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience in the Lake Chad Basin. The first time the Lake Chad Research Group (LCRG) has convened in this expanded, international format.

At a Glance

• What: Regional Workshop on Research Priorities for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience
• When: 9–11 September 2026
• Where: Abuja, Nigeria
• Who: ~39 delegates, LCBC, universities from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, regional and international think tanks, UNDP, ISS, BICC, UNIDIR, civil society and development partners
• Why it matters: Sets a shared research agenda to inform RS SRR2.0 and the Lake Chad Basin Strategic Action Programme (SAP)

Why This Workshop Matters

Since Boko Haram’s expansion into the Lake Chad Basin from 2014, the conflict has displaced at least three million people and left more than ten million in need of humanitarian assistance. LCBC Member States have responded both militarily, through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), and non-militarily, through the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience (RS SRR) adopted in 2018 and recently updated as RS SRR2.0.

Effective strategy depends on reliable evidence. LCBC has built two pillars to supply it: the Lake Chad Information System (LIS), its knowledge management platform, and the Lake Chad Research Group (LCRG), established under the World Bank-financed PROLAC programme. This workshop was convened to close remaining gaps, duplicated studies, thin dialogue between researchers and decision-makers, and a knowledge platform not yet reaching its full potential.

The Opening

Delivering opening remarks on behalf of LCBC Executive Secretary and Head of Mission of the MNJTF, Amb. Ibrahim Babani, the Technical Director welcomed delegates from across the Basin’s universities, research institutions, think tanks and partner agencies, calling the expanded meeting a significant step toward a more connected and impactful regional research network.

“The success of our efforts depends on our ability to transform knowledge into action.” – Technical Director, LCBC, opening the workshop on behalf of Amb. Ibrahim Babani

The remarks credited World Bank support through PROLAC and MCRP strengthening the LIS, formalising university cooperation across the Basin, and establishing the LCRG support that has already enabled 15 public universities to build a basin-wide research platform and strengthened the capacities of 402 researchers, teachers and students across five priority thematic areas.

What the Data Shows

Ahead of the workshop, LCBC ran an institutional survey to map research activity across the Basin. The findings, presented in plenary, showed research clustering heavily in secure urban centres leaving rural peripheries, lake-border islands, and displacement sites under-studied.

The survey recommended stronger coordination and financing mechanisms, an inclusive regional knowledge management system, closer alignment between research and RS SRR2.0’s action plans, and a sharper focus on climate resilience.

A Critical Look at the LIS

Day Two turned the spotlight onto the LIS itself. LCBC’s technical team presented a candid SWOT analysis on the LIS recognising real strengths (a decade of centralised Basin data, a broad functional scope, and formal university partnerships) alongside honest gaps in reach, real-time data currency and user experience.

Delegates then split into four working groups to turn that diagnosis into recommendations:

• Content, data quality and knowledge resources
• User experience, navigation and accessibility
• Research collaboration and knowledge sharing
• Sustainability, governance and innovation

The day closed with a guiding question for the road ahead: *what should the LIS look like by 2030 to become the Basin’s leading knowledge and decision-support platform?*

Research From Across the Basin

Delegates shared updates from a wide range of ongoing research programmes, including:

• Institute for Security Studies (ISS) a briefing on regional security trends, including recommendations on civilian protection, counter-drone capability and cross-border intelligence sharing
• UNIDIR its Managing Exits from Armed Conflict (MEAC) programme
• Prosperity and Peace Pathways Project (University of Greenwich) a research arc running from 2021 through to 2028
• University of Maroua an overview of its scientific and regional research positioning in the Basin
• RESILAC (Action Contre la Faim, CARE International and Groupe URD) cross-border economic studies, land dynamics, conflict-resolution mechanisms, psychosocial care and gender
• UNDP, UNDP West and Central Africa Regional hub presentation on long standing collaboration and finding from The Spatial Development Strategy for the Sahel (SDSS).
• Prof. Freedom C. Onuoha, University of Nigeria, Nsukka nearly two decades of research on resource conflicts, the Boko Haram insurgency, counter-terrorism, and the climate–security nexus, including work under the UK-funded XCEPT programme

From Network to Institution

The workshop also marked a moment to reflect on the LCRG’s own journey since its founding meeting on 6 September 2021. In four years, the Group has held 12 coordination meetings, organised four international science-policy forums (Abuja, Niamey, and twice in N’Djamena) drawing more than 100 scientific papers, launched a Sub-Regional Doctoral School, and established a Network of Basin Universities formalised through agreements signed with LCBC.

With PROLAC’s project cycle finite, proposals are now on the table to anchor the LCRG permanently within LCBC potentially as a standing Scientific Advisory Council so its work outlasts the project that created it.

Looking Ahead

Day Three turned to governance: a workshop on the LCRG’s own network operating strategy, followed by discussions on formalising regular dialogue between research centres and the decision-makers implementing RS SRR2.0 on the ground. The workshop closed with a set of consolidated recommendations and a formal closing ceremony.

As the Technical Director noted in opening the workshop, research in the Lake Chad Basin now has the chance to serve as a powerful catalyst for peacebuilding, sustainable development and lasting prosperity provided the network built in Abuja this September continues to turn shared evidence into shared action.