BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The Niger Basin Authority (NBA) has advocated accelerated implementation of strategic investments especially in infrastructure and agriculture within the member countries, describing them as important drivers of peace, stability and shared prosperity.
Executive Secretary of NBA, Mr Kocou Houanye disclosed this on Tuesday at the Regional Conference on Hydro-Diplomacy and Strategic Investments for Shared Prosperity in Transboundary Basins in Abuja.
NBA is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes cooperation and integrated resource management among nine member countries of the Niger Basin such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad, even as NBA based in Niger coordinates activities for the region.
Houanye called for stronger regional cooperation and strategic investments to promote peace, stability and shared prosperity in the Niger and Lake Chad basins.
He stated that the conference provided an opportunity for countries and institutions within the two transboundary basins to strengthen dialogue, address shared challenges and promote sustainable development.
Houanye informed that the conference, jointly organised by the NBA and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), provided a neutral platform for dialogue and negotiations on conflicts linked to natural resources and environmental challenges.
The Niger and Lake Chad basins face ecological, socio-economic and security challenges, with large populations depending on their natural resources for livelihoods, requiring stronger collaboration among member states and development partners to improve resilience and expand access to development opportunities.
Houanye was optimistic that the conference would produce practical recommendations to strengthen synergy among stakeholders and the role of the two basin organisations as platforms for regional dialogue.
The ES informed that the conference would be followed by a session of the NBA regional steering committee to review previous operations and consider a work plan and budget for the next phase of its programmes.
He stated that the participants would also review activities of dam agencies operating within the Niger Basin and adopt recommendations to improve implementation of ongoing programmes.
Implementation of the programme for Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin had improved, with physical implementation rising from 37 per cent to 48.3 per cent, and financial implementation from 17 per cent to 57 per cent.
Houanye added that the programme’s commitment rate had also risen from 49 per cent to 92 per cent, commending the Nigerian Government for its political, technical and financial support to the NBA.
He said that discussions were underway with development partners on the next phase of the programme, with efforts to expand its coverage to more member countries, adding that sustained political commitment and development-partner support would be necessary to consolidate the gains and mobilise further strategic investments across the basin.
German Cooperation representative, Mrs Hanna Albrecht sought stronger regional cooperation and coordinated responses to challenges affecting the Niger and Lake Chad basins.
Albrecht said that climate change, pressure on natural resources, insecurity and threats to livelihoods were interconnected challenges whose effects transcended national borders.
She noted that responses should be based on the realities and needs of affected communities, adding that women and young people should be central to efforts to create sustainable economic opportunities.
Albrecht praised the NBA and LCBC for sustaining dialogue among member states and developing joint responses despite difficult conditions, adding that the cooperation supported both basin organisations through its programmes and remained committed to helping member states develop coordinated responses.
She pointed out that technical knowledge, institutional dialogue and community participation needed to complement one another to develop appropriate interventions, prevent tensions and promote sustainable development.
Executive Secretary of LCBC, Ambassador Ibrahim Babani noted that the commission is strengthening member states’ capacity to assess water use and demand through tools for mapping cropland, determining crop water requirements and identifying areas with water deficits and surpluses.
Babani hinted that the tools would also help assess groundwater storage suitability and would be incorporated into an interactive dashboard at the commission’s headquarters in N’Djamena.
He noted that cooperation with member states, traditional leaders, civil society and development partners had deepened understanding of the links between security, livelihoods and natural-resource management.
The ES informed that the LCBC remained committed to implementing the conference outcomes across member states and strengthening cooperation with the NBA and partner institutions, especially ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference.
He said that transboundary basin organisations should serve as platforms for peace, regional integration and mobilisation of investments to strengthen resilience, stability and prosperity.
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