The Nigerian Navy has commenced full operations on the Nigerian side of the general Lake Chad, following the deployment of Marine troops to the area.
This is in line with the presidential directives to give a boost to the War Against Insurgents in Northeast Nigeria.
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has been interacting with commanders in the newly established area of Naval operations, to appraise the situation on ground.
He seeks to join forces with the ground and air troops as well as other key stakeholders in order to speed up the post conflict healing process in the area.
They are currently brainstorming on how to achieve synergy and smooth running of the new operational base.
Boko Haram Stronghold
Northern Borno is a notorious stronghold of the Boko haram insurgents, carrying out trans-border operations after sacking the fishing town of Baga.
The Lake Chad area falls under Baga, a border local government in Northern Borno State.
Three years after a deadly massacre of an estimated 2,000 residents, Baga is still a ghost town, deserted by civilians and now home to the Multinational Joint Task Force fighters.
The Borno State Deputy Governor, Usman Durkwa among other government officials, expressed gratitude over the presidential directives.
As Baga has the biggest fish market in the region and serves as an economic hub for the state, there are hopes that a total liberation and revival of the area will pave way for a continuation of the suspended oil exploration around the lake Chad area.
U.S/ UN Support
Earlier in August, the United States government offered over $37 million for humanitarian assistance of victims of the Lake Chad Basin conflict.
Also in September, the UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, Toby Lanzer, said at least $559 million would be needed in the next four months to ease the crisis in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.
This was after confirming that at least nine Million people were in urgent need of aid in Nigeria’s northeast and neighbouring countries.
Furthermore, more than six million people were considered to be “severely food insecure” with 568,000 children acutely malnourished.
“Save Lake Chad”
President Buhari had also called on wealthy countries to save Nigeria, and other countries of the Lake Chad Basin as they lacked the billions of dollars required to channel water from the Congo Basin into the lake.
This was in order to check its rapid depletion.
He therefore warned that the failure to regenerate the Lake Chad will lead to another round of migration by the people living in the areas.
This was one of the topics presented by Buhari at the recently concluded United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which took place in New York.
