President Muhammadu Buhari stated that Nigeria is engaging with relevant stakeholders on recharging Lake Chad as it is important that there be water transfer to the Lake from the Congo Basin.
The President disclosed this on Saturday, during a one-day official visit of the President of Chad, Marshal Idris Deby Itno at the State House in Abuja. The two leaders discussed bilateral issues ranging from security to the recharging of Lake Chad.
“It is imperative that there be water transfer to the Lake Chad from the Congo Basin, so that the people can resume their normal lives,” President Buhari said.
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“I’ve been engaging with the relevant stakeholders in Africa and beyond, on why we need to recharge Lake Chad. Nigeria will benefit more, but it is also advantageous to everyone.”
The President added that the water basin supports water transfer, farming, fishing, animal husbandry and others; and would also stop the “irregular migration of youths, who now dare the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, to get into Europe, seeking greener pastures.”
What you should know
- Lake Chad shrunk by 95% between 1963 to 1998. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization has called it an “Ecological Catastrophe.” Lake Chad provides water to almost 20million people, including farmers, fishermen, and herders.
- In November 2020, The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, announced that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will resume oil exploration in the Lake Chad area.
