Nigeria, Cameroon partner to support livelihoods in Mandara region
By Tosin Kolade
Nigeria and Cameroon have established a regional platform to jointly manage the Mandara region’s shared resources, addressing environmental challenges and enhancing community livelihoods.
This was the thrust at the Regional Workshop for the establishment and capacity building of the transboundary ecosystems of the Mount Mandara Plateau in Abuja on Monday.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, stated that the workshop aims to build capacity and create a joint platform for managing the shared ecosystem.
According to him, the initiative seeks to enhance cooperation for the sustainable management of the Mandara region’s environmental resources, benefiting communities on both sides of the border.
Utsev was represented by Adeyinka Adenopo, who discussed the transboundary ecosystems of the Mount Mandara Plateau and Sena Oura/Bouba Ndjida (BSB) within the framework of transboundary cooperation.
He noted that they have identified capacity-building needs to improve governance and sustainable management of these ecosystems and to establish national platforms in each country.
Mr Michael Shehu, representing Michika Local Government in Adamawa State, stated the significance of the new platform.
He explained that it brings together Nigerian and Cameroonian representatives to collaboratively develop strategies to address pressing environmental challenges, such as soil erosion caused by runoff from the hills.
This, he said has negatively impacted local households, farms, and agricultural viability in the Mandara region.
Shehu noted that potential solutions, including constructing dams and other water management infrastructure, could help mitigate these issues and prevent future hazards.
He added that such projects would directly benefit communities by reducing erosion and promoting sustainable land use.
Cameroon’s National President of the Mandara Platform, Mr Yama Gilbert, expressed gratitude to both governments for their support of the project.
Gilbert noted the anticipated improvements in the lives of people in the Mandara region, calling the initiative a “double pride” for Cameroon due to its focus on sustainable resource management and livelihoods.
He also thanked the Niger Basin Authority and the broader team supporting the platform’s establishment.
Mr Allomasso Tchokponhoué, Regional Project Coordinator of the Niger Basin Integrated Transboundary Ecosystem and Adaptation Support (NB-ITTAS) project, emphasised the workshop’s importance for the sustainable management of the Mandara Plateau ecosystems.
He outlined the event’s key objectives, including training participants on resource management and securing funding for sustainability.
“Following the workshop, attendees will return to their countries to replicate these training sessions at the national level”.
Tchokponhoué also stressed the importance of implementing concrete, on-the-ground projects that will benefit local communities and promote ecosystem stewardship.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Mount Mandara Plateau is an ecoregion that includes the Mandara Mountains, a volcanic range in northern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria.
Conservation actions include encouraging sustainable farming techniques, restoring and reforesting forests, and establishing protected areas. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi
