By Funmi Olasupo

As part of efforts to tackle the challenges confronting the operations of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, LCBC, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr Sanusi Imran Abdullahi, an engineer, has unveiled plans to implement a five-year investment plan, expected to gulp about 91,000,000 Euros.

The plan would bring about the improvement of the hydraulicity of the Chari and Logone Rivers and the de-silting, erosion and evasive weeds control measures, in and around the Lake Chad to enable the Lake accommodate more flow.

A press statement signed by the Deputy Director Press, in the Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs.  Boade Akinola, said Abdullahi made the disclosures at the 60th Ordinary Session of the LCBC Council of Ministers Meeting held weekend, in Niamey, Republic of Niger.

Addressing delegates at the conference, Abdullahi disclosed that the five -year investment plan which is expected to commence in 2015, is an offshoot of the International Donors Round Table Conference in April 2014 at Bologna and Rimini Italy.

“The amount of 91,000,000€ which was pledged (ADB- 86 million, BMZ- 5 million €) would be used to implement the LCBC FYIP”, the statement said.

The Commission’s Executive Secretary explained that the Chairman of the Summit had set up the International Monitoring Committee to follow up on all pledges made during the Donor’s Conference headed by former President of EU Parliament , Prof. Prodi Romano, to be assisted by former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Members of the committee included representatives of three multilateral financial institutions – Africa Development Bank, World Bank and European Union, a representation of a bilateral financial partner (Germany), Ministers of Planning of Niger, Chad and Nigeria and the Chairman Council of Ministers of the LCBC.

He urged member countries to show more commitment towards timely payment of statutory contributions. “The persisting challenge of non-timely payment of statutory contribution by member countries has continued to make it impossible for the Commission to carry out its planned and approved activities. This situation is making our development partners weary, and at times confused about our seriousness to sustain the Commission”, he emphasized.

Speaking on the commitment of AfDB towards the implementation of the FYIP, the Bank’s Chief Technical Expert, Dr. Tounkara Samba Bocary said AfDB had  committed more than 100 million US Dollars to ensure the implementation of FYIP.

Representing the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, the Director, Planning Research and Statistics of the Ministry, Mr. Wakil Adamu, commended the efforts of Nigerian government toward reviving Lake Chad Basin.