The House of Representatives has called for the recharge and restoration of Lake Chad to alleviate the severe economic and humanitarian consequences of the shrinking of the lake.
This was sequel to the adoption of the motion moved by Hon Ahmed Mohammed Munir from Kaduna at plenary on Tuesday.
Moving the motion, Munir said, “Lake Chad, in correlation with the largest endorheic basin in Africa, has been rapidly shrinking over time due to climate change and unsustainable water management practices.”
He expressed concern that the shrinking of the lake has led to severe consequences on economic opportunities, causing displacement of millions of people who are now living in poverty and facing the threat of heightened security risks and extremism with both national and international ramifications.
The lawmakers said; “the House is aware that the World Bank in 2006 highlighted feasibility studies showing that Inter-Basin Water Transfer as the means to recharge and restore the lake has minimal environmental impact as per an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Report.
“Cognizant that restoring the Lake will not only help revive fishing and other aquatic resources industries but also open up new opportunities for enhanced national security, food security, agriculture, tourism, improving urban water supply, restoring moribund irrigation schemes and other economic activities improving the livelihoods of millions in the region and beyond.”
Adopting the motion, the House urged the Nigerian Government to kick-start a high-level diplomatic engagement for regional cooperation among the five member countries that constitute the Lake Chad Basin Commission to serve as the bedrock for further international cooperation.
It also asked the Government to work closely with International Organisations to leverage their technical expertise and mobilise resources from a variety of sources that include international development banks and bilateral aid agencies to ensure the successful completion of the project.
The House further mandated the Committees on Water Resources, Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, Environment, Climate Change, North East Development Commission, Lake Chad, Aids, Loan and Debt Management, Cooperation and Integration in Africa and Legislative Compliance (when constituted) to ensure compliance.
It also urged the Nigerian Government to allocate significant resources in the 2024 budget of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for an up-to-date feasibility study to increase the volume of water in the lake by diverting water from the Oubangui River.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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