Dakar, Senegal, 30 July 2024— The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), along with national and international partners, are pleased to announce the launch of a new phase for the Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) in the Lake Chad Basin[i], running from September 2024 to August 2028. 

Since its inception in 2019, the facility has made significant progress in addressing the multi-dimensional crisis in the region through government-led, community-driven stabilization, and regional cooperation across Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. The new phase aims to safeguard and build upon these achievements by extending its reach to new locations and better connecting already stabilized sites.

"Stabilization has restored hope and transformed the lives of millions. It is a game-changer in areas characterized as protracted crisis. Our joint efforts contributed to ensuring greater security, essential access to education, healthcare, justice, jobs, and boosting agricultural and farming activities, allowing more than one million displaced people to return to their villages or resettle in newly stabilized areas. However, with nearly 3.6 million internally displaced people and refugees[ii] still in the region, we cannot afford to let our guard down," said Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator, and Regional Director for Africa. 

The new phase of the programme will continue to support communities and ensure they are at the heart of stabilization efforts, focusing on including all groups, especially women and youth. 

“Thanks to the awareness-raising activities and workshops we organized jointly with the stabilization program, we now bring together nearly 500 women in our community groups to combat sexual and gender-based violence. We provide a safe space for dialogue and report incidents to the authorities,” said Sultan Baba Ibrahim, President of the Union Leyma des Femmes de Mani, a women-led community group in the Hadjer-Lamis province of Chad. 

The ownership and leadership of stabilization efforts by national governments and regional institutions are crucial for the success of the new phase. The LCBC plays an essential role in making sure the extended programme responds to the needs and priorities of the region. “We renew our commitment to mobilizing the governments of the Lake Chad Basin to sustain political will and ensure the effective implementation of the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery, and Resilience, beyond the life of the new phase," said His Excellency, Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, Executive Secretary of the LCBC. 

The first phase of the RSF has received financial support from a group of 14 donors.  

"The Regional Stabilization Facility has been pivotal in helping communities across the Lake Chad Basin region to rebuild their lives. Through a collaborative approach, it has laid the groundwork for recovery, peacebuilding, and development. We will continue to work with the people and our partner governments in the region to advance peace and stability through the RSF," said Ms. Anka Feldhusen, Director for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Stabilization, German Federal Foreign Office. 

"We will continue our engagement to increase stability for communities in the Lake Chad Basin, and we encourage the inclusion of women and youth at all levels to ensure the sustainability of stabilization efforts," said His Excellency Mr. Hans Lundquist, Ambassador of Sweden to Ethiopia and Djibouti, and Permanent Representative to the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). 

UNDP, LCBC, and national and international partners[iii] of the RSF call for enhanced synergies between humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts in this new phase to address the root causes of conflict and prevent new crises.  

"UNDP remains committed to working together with humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding actors for greater, sustainable impact. I would like to thank our partners for their continued confidence in UNDP. The new phase marks a major milestone in our fight against conflict and fragility in the Lake Chad Basin and demonstrates our collective will to work better together," concluded Ms. Eziakonwa.  

END

For more information on the new phase of the RSF, please reach out to: 

• Blerta Cela, Head of the UNDP Regional Stabilization Facility, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa — blerta.cela@undp.org 

For Media inquiries, please contact: 

• Ugochukwu Kingsley Ahuchaogu, Regional Communication Analyst, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa — ugochukwu.kingsley@undp.org 
• Schéhérazade Bouabid, Communication Officer, Regional Stabilization Facility, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa — scheherazade.bouabid@undp.org 

Regional Stabilization Facility latest reports: 

Regional Stabilization Facility for the Lake Chad Basin | Annual Report 2023 

Regional Stabilization Facility 2023 Factsheet, MAY 31, 2024 

Lake Chad Basin and Liptako-Gourma Regions Regional Stabilization Facility Summary Report 2023 

[i] Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria 

[ii] https://dtm.iom.int/reports/west-and-central-africa-lake-chad-basin-crisis-monthly-dashboard-64-may-2024 

[iii] AfDB, Denmark, European Union, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden, UNFPA, United Kingdom, UN Women