Experts urge efforts on people’s resilience in North East

Stakeholders have called for concerted efforts by governments, local responders, civil societies, private sector and international community to build people’s resilience against disasters in north-east.

They also sought the formulation of practical steps and implementation of actions-oriented discussions to help people affected by crisis to overcome their challenges.

The stakeholders, who spoke in Abuja at a workshop organised by Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Network of Civil Society Organisations in Lake Chad Basin, in collaboration with World Humanitarian Action Forum, noted that the last 35 years has shown a steady increase in the number of disasters, mostly weather-related induced like floods, storms or heat waves, which is likely to continue.

One of the speakers and Director General of NCF, Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano, explained that efforts are being made to identify areas where they could collaborate to address disaster risk reduction to enhance partnership, and build the resilience of communities in the zone.

He stressed that the aim of the organizers is to collaborate with humanitarian actors from the global North and South, and to share effective practices and responses that affect local, national and international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

On his part, President, Humanitarian Forum, United Kingdom, Dr.Hany El-Banna said “ the effort will amplify existing risks and create new for natural and human systems, especially for disadvantaged people.

“The higher the future rate of global warming, the more devastating will be its consequences. Global warming of under 2°C will already have a high impact on disasters|”, he added.

El-Banna argued that Nigeria’s solutions remain with federal government, hence, nobody should be left behind in the processes, especially in the recharging of Lake Chad.

In a good will message, Abdulwasea Adesina promised to support the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) because of the importance of Lake Chad to agriculture and livestock.

“There are intervention programmes on ground to support and boost agricultural activities. Resilience should be community based. This will go along way to revive the Lake in the north east zone”, he noted.

Also President of Civil Society Network for Lake Chad Basin, Shehu Ahmed stressed the need to provide direct materials to the affected communities as well as protect the environment.