Two operations totalling $346 million in International Development Association (IDA) funding have been approved by the World Bank to help improve resilience and livelihoods in the Lake Chad region.
The bank confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday adding the fund will be shared by Cameroon, Chad , Niger and Nigeria.
It explained that overall the region of Lake Chad suffered from poor development and economic indicators compared to the four countries averages.
It said there were significant infrastructure gaps, poor access to basic services, and climate change severely affected natural resources and livelihoods and the situation was exacerbated by the prevailing insecurity since 2009.
This is due, according to the bank, to insurgent activities that have prevented over 49 million people from achieving their livelihoods in fishing, livestock farming and agriculture.
The bank said the two newly approved operations focused on enhancing regional collaboration between the four countries to support communities near the Lake Chad area ‘s shore.
It said the operations would also improve people’s living conditions including vulnerable women and youth facing the negative impacts of climate change and suffering from insecurity.
“The first project, the Lake Chad Region Recovery and Development Project (PROLAC, 170 million dollars), will support national and regional coordination platforms and local capacity building.
“It will contribute to restoring sustainable rural mobility, connectivity and strengthen the recovery of agricultural livelihoods in selected provinces of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
“It will also promote knowledge sharing and regional dialogue with a data platform hosted at the Lake Chad Basin Commission, while strengthening community empowerment through citizen engagement, social cohesion activities and labour-intensive public works.
“PROLAC will contribute to the rehabilitation of rural roads and small transport infrastructure, and will promote productive investments by helping agricultural producers to increase productivity in the polder areas in Chad, the farming of oasis areas in Niger, and in the areas close to the shore of the Lake Chad in the Far North of Cameroon.
“The second project, the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project for North Eastern Nigeria, Additional Financing (MCRP AF, 176 million dollars), will help the Government of Nigeria to improve access to basic services and livelihood opportunities for crisis-affected communities in the North Eastern States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
“While enhancing coordination among these States and other Lake Chad countries.
“It expands the ongoing 200 million dollars MCRP project and puts an increased emphasis on support for agricultural livelihoods and investments.
“In addition, the MCRP AF will include support for labor-intensive approaches and works programs, promote rural and regional connectivity, rehabilitate market infrastructure and prioritize climate change adaptation and mitigation,” World Bank explained.
Nevertheless, the bank noted that the project would also extend its educational and health activities to include a emphasis on delivering services.
That will be achieved by offering grants to school boards and opportunities to return teachers and improving quality of primary health care services in selected public health centers and community hospitals, the bank said.
It stressed that, given the common nature of the challenges faced by the sub-region and the tremendous potential for regional cooperation, the Lake Chad region remained a priority area of engagement.