Lake Chad Basin Region: clearing the way

Banki was strategically important for the terrorists, as they attempted to gain control over the area on the other side of the border. Back then, the frontier between Nigeria and Cameroon was closed. The main street of the town, once a flourishing commercial district for trade in the border region of Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon, was devastated, leaving behind a deserted expanse of ruins. People died, families fled and lost their livelihoods.

Seven years later, in January 2021, the border between Nigeria and Cameroon was reopened. This link, which is vital for the Lake Chad Basin Region, is also essential for regional trade. Life has returned to Banki’s main street. The primary school stands out with its yellow walls and red roof. Market stands have been set up and the border forces have new barracks. Several thousand people have returned to the area now the terrorists have been driven out, and Nigerian security forces patrol the border region.

Following the military success of Nigerian troops against Boko Haram in the region around Banki, the African Union’s Regional Strategy for the Stabilisation, Recovery and Resilience of Boko Haram-affected Areas has worked with the Lake Chad Basin Commission to prepare the ground for positive development in the border region. To support the implementation of the strategy, the EU, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom have established a Regional Stabilisation Facility for Lake Chad. It has been designed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the German Federal Foreign Office, with the support of experts from the Stabilisation Platform (SPF).

The facility is managed by UNDP. It aims to improve local security and facilitate the reconstruction of state structures – thus providing essential basic services like education and health care for the population. Activities are coordinated by a committee comprising representatives of local authorities, civil society and the security forces. The committee has, for instance, arranged for an enclosure wall to be built to provide protection against any attacks by Boko Haram, as well as new police stations and school classrooms. It has also organised human rights training for security forces, and is ensuring that start-up capital for businesses and small crafts and trades enterprises is distributed, in an effort to revive the local economy. The main idea is that achievements are attributed directly to the governments in the region, so that the trust of the local population in state structures can grow in this fragile situation. The SPF team supports the Federal Foreign Office with steering and ongoing development of the facility.