UNGA: $391m humanitarian aid garnered for Lake Chad region
NAN-H-52
Aid
By Isaac Aregbesola
Abuja, Sept. 29, 2016 (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari’s high-level meetings at the just concluded UN General Assembly have garnered additional 391 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian aid for the Lake Chad region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.
Speaking with the media on Thursday, in Abuja, at the post-UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said that some countries, notably the UK and U.S. made the pledge at UNGA in New York.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Buhari had said at in New York that the revival of Lake Chad would cost more than 14 billion dollars and urged developed countries to make strong financial commitment to it.
Onyeama, quoting the president said that the assistance would save communities depending on Lake Chad for survival from extinction.
“No single country and surely not the four most affected countries, can muster the tremendous financial resources required to turn around the very dire situation of the Lake Chad Region.
“The millions of people whose daily livelihood have been placed in jeopardy are depending on us to find succour for them
“I am happy to note at the sessions, some countries notably the UK and U.S., pledged additional support to the tune of U.S. $391 million humanitarian aid for the Lake Chad Region,”the minister said.
He expressed concern that five million people living in the Lake Chad Basin countries had been displaced by the depletion of the lake due to climate change.
He said that ‘the president also met with some Nigerians in the Diaspora at the New York, where he extended invitation to them to join efforts to develop the country.
The minister said that the President also met with group of CEOs at the U.S.-African Business Forum and focused on how they could collaborate with Nigeria to diversify the economy.
He explained that the forum also afforded Buhari the opportunity to speak on the ongoing Nigeria’s Economic Reforms for Growth, where he tried to attract American investors to Nigeria.
He said that president Buhari at the meeting reiterated calls for the reform of the UN Security Council to reflect equitable and fair representation and greater transparency, legitimacy and inclusiveness in its decision. (NAN)
(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)