In May 2018 at the inaugural meeting of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilization, Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development, governors of the region, in recognition of their preeminent role as agencies of development and stabilization, affirmed their wish to remain central to efforts at stabilizing the region.
In the #LakeChadBasin, civil society plays a key role in providing services that local and regional governments cannot offer, and that ultimately contributes to normalcy and lays the foundation for stabilization and reconciliation #GovForum2021
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In line with this affirmation, the Lake Chad Basin Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience (RSS), adopted in August 2018, identified the eight governors as the primary mechanism for cross-border cooperation as well as domesticating the implementation of this Strategy.
The Governors’ Forum has made great strides since its inauguration. The Forum’s primary goal is to ensure regional stabilization, peacebuilding and sustainable development in the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) region. More specifically, it aims to promote cross-border dialogue, cooperation and exchange, and to support ongoing national, regional and multilateral efforts towards stabilization in the region. To ensure this happens, the important role of civil society and the wider community cannot be overemphasized. Stabilization in the LCB cannot be achieved only by military responses but by a combination of both security responses and the involvement of civil actors.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play a key role, especially in fragile and conflict-ridden regions such as the LCB. They provide services that local and regional governments cannot offer, which ultimately realizes normalcy and lays the foundation for stabilization and reconciliation. Involving them in the stabilization process will ensure that the progress made through military responses can be complemented by the provision of humanitarian and development assistance associated with the activities of CSOs.
CSOs in the LCB also play a pivotal role in the reintegration of displaced persons and the prevention of violent extremism through their engagement with youth groups, women, religious and local institutions. They also act as a buffer between the citizens and the government in defending the rights of citizens and offering governments in the region alternative policies for consideration. It is therefore critical for governors from the region to actively involve civil society in implementing the RSS.
Since the inaugural Governors’ Forum in 2018, efforts have been made to mainstream CSO participation in the implementation of the RSS. This is in accordance with the RSS provisions that call for an inclusive approach of all sections of society in stabilization efforts. Critical in this regard are the platforms created to mine the views of CSOs as well as gauge their activism and the extent to which their support can be harnessed for stabilization activities.
Consequent to this, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, during its widely popularized road shows to engage political actors in the four riparian countries around the LCB (Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon), engaged with CSOs as a critical actor group to determine stabilization priorities and the consideration of modes of implementation. Further, with support from the African Union, United Nations Development Programme, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), a forum for consulting CSO across the LCB was convened in Niamey, Chad, from 18-20 June to further consider stabilization priorities and the roles of civil society actors in addressing such priorities in the context of the RSS.
Recommendations from this forum were fed into the second Governors’ Forum held in 2019 in Niger. A key recommendation from the forum, relating to the operationalization of the Regional Civil Society Forum, has since been realized by the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC). With the institutionalization of this Forum, the path has been cleared for civil society to be actively engaged by all stakeholders, including the LCB governors, in the stabilization, recovery and resilience of the region.
The involvement of civil society comes with an added boost. Beyond stimulating local ownership of the stabilization process, CSOs are allowed to fully contribute to the peace efforts in the region. The confluence of participation and ownership is critical to the sustainability of the entire stabilization process. The active participation of public institutions, local and religious groups enhances trust among community members, which eventually ensures accountability in the implementation of the RSS.
The inclusion of women and youth, who account for more than 60 percent of the population, will ensure success and yield the necessary results that is peace and stabilization in the region. Involving women in decision-making on all matters relating to peace and stabilization will not only provide long-lasting homegrown solutions but will ensure their implementation due to the ownership that they take of them. For example, one area is to have women appointed to leadership and administrative positions. This is a position that the LCBC has been keen on driving since 2018.
For the youth, involving them in this process provides them with a platform for their voices to be heard and allows them to be part of the solution to the crisis in the LCB region. Through the LCBC, a regional youth network has been created to build their capacities and ensure that their meaningful contribution to the stabilization, recovery and resilience efforts of the region are sustainable.
As part of the RSS framework, recognizing the invaluable contributions of civil society to fostering stability, recovery and resilience in the LCB region will ensure stabilization in the region. Further, the framework provided by the RSS will ensure that recovery and resilience priorities are informed and guided by the needs of the communities as outlined by civil society. Hence, involving the governors from the affected states in this process will ensure trust in the process and enhance collaboration between civil society and regional and national authorities.
Chika Charles Aniekwe is the Senior Advisor and Head of Stabilization for the UNDP/LCBC Lake Chad Basin Regional Stabilization Strategy. Christabel Chanda Ginsberg is a Communications Specialist for the UNDP Regional Programme. The 3rd Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum took place on 4-5 October 2021 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
