The European Union (EU) and the French Development Agency (AFD) have launched the RESILAC 2 project to drive inclusive economic and social recovery and enhance resilience in the Lake Chad region.
The project launched in Abuja aims to address poverty, climate change, agriculture and insecurity among vulnerable populations in three communities in Borno State and across Lake Chad Basin host communities.
Speaking at the event, EU Ambassador to Nigeria Gautier Mignot said the five year intervention project will be implemented in collaboration with the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in three countries namely Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, within the Lake Chad area and Niger republic when political conditions are met .
“This five-year project will benefit three local government areas in Borno State, as well as communities in Northern Cameroon and the Lake Province of Chad,”
He emphasized that RESILAC 2 would improve access to basic services, stimulate economic recovery, and foster social cohesion among displaced populations, refugees, and host communities in the Lake Chad Basin.
While reaffirming the commitment of the EU and Partners to Nigeria’s development, Mignot pointed out that RESILAC 2 is part of a broader portfolio of new initiatives launched by the European Union under the “Team Europe” banner for Nigeria’s North East and North West regions.
“This is just one component of a larger €300 million package of new projects launching this year. These include other initiatives, such as a transboundary water management project, all aimed at addressing security and socio-economic development in Nigeria’s most challenged regions,” Mignot added.
The Country Director for the French Development Agency, the AFD Xavier Muron said the AFD was supporting the project because tangible results were achieved with over 140,000 people that were involved during Phase 1.
” We would like with Phase 2 to involve 120 at least new communities and people throughout the activities of the project that are basically to make sure that they improve their livelihood in a very difficult terrain.”
Muron added that the funders just want to put additional resources to achieve more results.
“The objective basically is to make sure that we involve many more people. Borno State is a big state in Nigeria. There are also a lot of communities in the other countries.We need more resources to make sure that we are able to get them involved in the project.”
“The first phase was 30 million and with this second phase we expect to put 40 million together with the European Union.”
Lake Chad Situation
Speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, said RESILAC 2 project directly aligns with the Commission’s Regional Stabilization Strategy, which has been in place for the past six years.
“This strategy is focused on restoring livelihoods in areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. The entire activity of RESILAC supports the implementation of key pillars of that strategy,” he said.
Contrary to wide spread concerns about the reduction of Lake Chad’s water volume, Nuhu clarified that the lake currently has 16,000 square kilometers of water.
“This crisis of the lake drying up is no longer the main issue. The focus now is on how we can support the communities. This project addresses not only agricultural and fisheries activities but also the impact of climate change and supports livestock farming,”
“The resilience of the people who have long suffered due to insurgency is being rebuilt through RESILAC and similar projects. The World Bank has its PROLAC initiative, and the African Development Bank also has projects focused on this region, all aiming to boost resilience and spur development in the Lake Chad area,” He added.
He forecasted that , “At the end of the five-year implementation, we will assess the impact. By then, we expect significant progress in building resilience. If gaps remain, we will work to address them.”
Government Position
In his opening address, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, represented by the Permanent Secretary , Dr. Emeka Vitalis Obi, said the second phase of the project was an opportunity to deepen cooperation and ensure that efforts on the ground directly contribute to the regional stabilization strategy of the member states of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
“… we commend the inclusive and multi-actor approach adopted by RESILAC 2, bringing together local CSOs, NGOs, research institutions, and regional platforms.”
He also commended the efforts of Action Against Hunger, other collaborating partners in Borno State, for supporting government to address the challenges of food insecurity, resulting in improved nutritional status of conflict-affected populations.
This diverse consortium reflects the spirit of complementarity and mutual learning we wish to promote in the region.
“As we move forward, several strategic priorities must guide our collective action. We should be able to anticipate and adapt to the growing risks of climate-induced disasters”
The Minister while reiterating government’s commitment added that their uptake of critical household aids and hygiene behaviours , provision of primary healthcare, water, sanitation, hygiene services, safety nets and livelihood sources provision support was impactful.
“Let me reiterate our commitment that the Ministry, in line with its mandate on coordination of food and nutrition-related activities in the country, will continue to provide effective leadership in addressing the problem of malnutrition and household.”
Resilac 2 Overview
Due to the security crisis and recurring climatic shocks faced by the Lake Chad region, the living conditions of the people have been affected, resulting in massive population displacement.
The launch of the €40 Million RESILAC 2 co-funded by the EU and AFD would enhance access to essential services (health, education, social protection, water, and sanitation, improve coordination, territorial governance, capacity building, and social cohesion, and foster cross-border trade, sustainable job creation, and agro-sylvo pastoral production.
RESILAC 2 will strategically consolidate efforts, targeting 118,000 direct beneficiaries and reaching more than 500 000 persons indirectly through comprehensive response to their current needs .
In Nigeria, the project will focus on 36,000 direct beneficiaries; prioritizing vulnerable groups such as women, children, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Jere, Konduga and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council in Borno State.
It will also include young men and women, vulnerable households; “displaced, refugees, host communities”, local entities and stakeholders, along with some select associations and local organizations.
Scope And Implementation
Resilac 2 will be executed by a consortium led by Action against Hunger, CARE Nigeria, and Groupe URD, in collaboration with the CCFD-Terre Solidaire network, 13 civil society organizations, sub-regional and national authorities.
The project is designed to strengthen resilience in the Lake Chad region particularly in Nigeria within the three LGAs of Jere, Konduga and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council in Borno state, while empowering local authorities, NGOs, and civil society organizations in the four benefiting countries.
Country Director of Action Against Hunger, represented by the Deputy Country Director for Programmes, Andualem Rekadu said from the lesson learnt from the implementation of the first phase which spanned 2018 to 2022, Phase 2 would be very impactful and significantly improve the livelihood of the benefitting communities.
” the lesson learned that we get from Resilac 1 is reflected in the design of Resilient Two and it will make it really more impactful even compared to Resilient One, which was actually a success.”
“Resilac project has a component of basic service delivery. It has also a component of system strengthening, governance, natural resource management, and it touches every aspect of the life of the community.” Rekadu said
It is the second phase of a long-term initiative projected to affect the lives of half a million beneficiaries .
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