Buhari asks global community for $14bn to rebuild northeast and replenish Lake Chad

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has asked the international community to provide Nigeria with $14bn to help restore normality to the Lake Chad region and to replenish the shrinking body of water as he seeks to rebuild areas devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency.

 

Over recent years, Boko Haram has been involved in a bloody war with the Nigerian state, capturing large swathes of territory in the northeast of the country. Over the last year, however, the Nigerian military has succeeded in recapturing most of the areas held by Boko Haram but this has left huge social problems that need addressing.

 

Apart from the fact that Boko Haram adopted a scorched earth policy, destroying towns and villages it was displaced from, there are also millions of refugees across northeastern Nigeria. Addressing the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Buhari asked for international funding to help bring normality back to the area.

 

He said the call had become imperative in view of the drying up of the Lake Chad to the negative consequences of climate change. In addition, President Buhari also called for global support for the cleanup of Ogoniland.

 

President Buhari said: “Nigeria is proud to have been part of the process leading to the adoption of the Paris Agreement in December 2015 and supports the African Union Initiative on the Great Green Wall to halt desertification. Nigeria has made remarkable progress in our resolve to defeat Boko Haram, whose capacity to launch orchestrated attacks as a formed group has been severely degraded.

 

“In the last few months, their operations have been limited to sporadic use of improvised explosive devices against soft targets. Nigeria stands ready to serve Africa and the world on a reformed Security Council to advance international peace and security.”

 

He added that Nigeria will continue to fight terrorism based on the established rules of engagement and in conformity with international best practices. President Buhari also called for enhanced international cooperation to defeat the global scourge.

 

In addition, he stated Nigeria’s position on flow of migrants, statehood for Palestinians in conformity with Security Council resolutions, the vital role of youth to national development and nuclear security. President Buhari also advocated for the reform of the United Nations Security Council to give Africa adequate representation.