African Development Bank and Lake Chad Basin Commission Sign $10 Million Grant Agreement to Revitalize Lake Chad

he African Development Bank Group and the Lake Chad Basin Commission (CBLT) have signed a $10.2 million grant agreement to implement the Technical Support Project for the Restoration of the Ecological and Economic Functions of the Lake Chad Basin (PARFEBALT).

The agreement was signed in N’Djamena on 20 March 2025 by the Bank Group’s interim Country Manager for Chad, Claude N’Kodia, and the Executive Secretary of the CBLT and head of mission of the Multinational Joint Task Force, Mamman Nuhu. Also present were Fatima Haram Acyl, Deputy Minister of Finance responsible for the Economy, Planning and International Cooperation, and Nour Saleh Haggar, General Secretary of the Ministry of Water and Energy.

The project is funded by the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional financing window, and the Transition Support Facility, a funding mechanism dedicated to fragile states, with additional contribution from the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

The funding will help restore the ecological and economic functions of the Lake Chad Basin through three main interventions: conducting preparatory studies to revitalize Lake Chad; improving knowledge and management of water resources; and strengthening the institutional capacities of the Commission and its member states (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria) to ensure sustainable and integrated management of the basin’s water resources.

“This project is a commitment to the local population, especially women and young people, who will benefit from income-generating activities and training to strengthen their resilience to climate change,” stated Nuhu.

The Lake Chad region faces pressing climate and security challenges, including the lake’s shrinkage, droughts, flooding, conflicts between farmers and herders, and threats from terrorism.

Recognizing these risks and the importance of water resources and wetland ecosystems to the local economy, the Lake Chad Basin Commission adopted a Strategic Programme of Action for 2023-2025, actively supported by the Bank since November 2022.

“This project strengthens the support that the Bank has already provided for the region, in line with our new ten-year strategy 2024-2033, which considers peace and security as essential regional and global public goods,” stated Mr N’Kodia.

As a key financial partner, the African Development Bank Group’s Country Strategy Paper for Chad prioritizes two main pillars: developing infrastructure to foster strong and diversified economic growth and promoting good governance to enhance public sector efficiency and the country’s economic attractiveness.  

Cover photo:  Claude N’Kodia, African Development Bank Group’s interim Country Manager for Chad, and Mamman Nuhu, Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, exchange signed documents relating to the grant agreement.