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 Ahmed Mohammed Munir from Kaduna at plenary in Abuja.
Moving the motion, Munir said, “Lake Chad, 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 House is“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 Federal 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 ubangui River.
In his Contributions, Mr Ahmed Jaha proposed an amendment to the motion asking the Lake Chad Basin Commission to add support to the prayers of the motion.
Mr. Usman Balami proposed a further amendment to include the House committee on Inter Parliamentary Relations with the relevant committee when constituted to work in tandem for the realization of the prayers of the motion.
Similarly, Mr. Uchenna Okonkwo raised an amendment to add that the House committee on Sutainable Development Goals to add its quota for the realization of the prayers of the motion.
The motion was voted on and adopted as amended.
Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji
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