Stakeholders to address Lake Chad Basin challenges in January

From Usman Abubakar, Maiduguri

About one thousand delegates from the ethnic communities and peoples that constituted the ancient Kanem-Borno Empire in Nigeria and the Diaspora are to converge on Maiduguri, January 1 and 2, 2026, in continuation of their search for solutions to the problems currently bedeviling the Lake Chad region.
They will converge under the auspices of the Biennial Kanem-Borno 2nd Annual General Conference/Cultural Summit. They held the maiden summit, January 2024 in Maiduguri for the same purpose.
With the theme: Echoes of Resilience: Harnessing Culture for Peace and Regional Stability, the 2026 summit will attract participants from the four Lake Chad Basin countries – Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, as well as other countries from across the world.
“This Summit will serve as a global homecoming, bringing together sons and daughters of Kanem-Borno from across Nigeria and around the world, including members of the diaspora, scholars, professionals, traditional rulers, cultural custodians, youth and women,” the Chairman of the Summit, Dr. Zanna Hassan Boguma, disclosed to newsmen in Maiduguri, Wednesday, December 17.
“It is a deliberate effort to reconnect our people to their shared heritage and mobilize collective wisdom, resources and networks for the peace and stability of our region,” the Zanna Boguma of Borno explained.
Dr. Boguma continued: “Building on the success of the maiden edition, the 2nd Biennial Kanem-Borno Summit seeks to deepen conversations around identity, resilience, and responsibility.”
The Summit chairman noted: “At a time when the Lake Chad Basin continues to face security, humanitarian, and socioeconomic challenges, this Summit positions culture as a unifying force and a strategic tool for Peace building, reconciliation, and regional cooperation and integration.”
He remarked: “The 2nd edition of the Biennial Kanem-Borno Summit is inclusive, non-partisan and forward-looking,” explaining, “It seeks to complement ongoing security and development efforts by providing cultural, intellectual, and people-driven platform that strengthens social cohesion and fosters long-term peace and stability in the region.”