UNDP Africa unveils two funding mechanisms to support recovery from conflict and displacement

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (BG) – New initiatives have been launched to strengthen stability and resilience in the Lake Chad Basin, a region deeply affected by conflict and displacement, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa announced on Friday.

The two funding mechanisms will support the region’s economic recovery, infrastructure rehabilitation, and peacebuilding efforts.

UNDP Africa, in collaboration with the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and its partners, announced the Special Multi-Partner Delivery Fund (SMDF) and the Nexus Funding Facility (NFF) at the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, held in Maiduguri, Nigeria.

These mechanisms aim to provide a coordinated, long-term response to the region’s challenges.

Stretching across Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin is home to more than 6 million displaced people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and refugees.

The crisis has disproportionately affected women and youth, leaving communities in urgent need of economic opportunities and essential services.

Focus on Economic Recovery and Peacebuilding

The SMDF will enhance the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery, and Resilience (RS SRR) by supporting community reintegration programs, infrastructure rehabilitation, and economic development.

According to Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, executive secretary of LCBC, the fund will also improve coordination between governments, civil society, and humanitarian actors.

Meanwhile, the NFF introduces a flexible, multi-year funding model to strengthen humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding (HDP) efforts.

It prioritizes locally driven solutions and partnerships that foster long-term stability.

Progress in Stabilization Efforts

Over the past six years, more than 1 million displaced people have returned home, and more than 100,000 former Boko Haram associates have been demobilized under the RS SRR framework, according to UNDP.

Since 2019, the Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) has reached 1.3 million people, including 726,222 women, by improving security, service delivery, and economic opportunities.

Hadje Abderahmane, a displaced woman from Fouli, Chad, shared how obtaining an identity card transformed her life:

“After finding refuge in Bol, I received an identity card that changed everything for me. Now, I can access healthcare at the local hospital and enroll my children in school that has been rehabilitated. For the first time in years, I feel like we have a future,” she was quoted by UNDP as saying

International Support and Future Outlook

Similar initiatives in Koulkime have improved education and food security, with UNDP and the World Food Programme implementing school feeding programs to support students in renovated and newly built classrooms.

The SMDF has already received support from international partners, including Germany and Sweden.

Anka Feldhusen, Germany’s director for crisis prevention, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to the fund, urging more partners to join: “Now is the time to act at scale and consolidate hard-won progress.”

Joachim Beijmo, Sweden’s head of regional Africa development cooperation, emphasized that success depends on long-term, locally owned solutions that address the root causes of conflict.

Ahunna Eziakonwa, UNDP’s regional director for Africa, called the launch of these mechanisms a “game-changer,” highlighting the commitment to transform lives and build lasting resilience in the Lake Chad Basin.