The maiden Regional Conference on Hydrodiplomacy, Gender and Strategic Investments for Peace, Stability and Shared Prosperity in Niger and Lake Chad Transboundary Basins was officially declared open on 28 September 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria, by Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation.

The three-day conference, jointly organized by the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) and the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) with support from GIZ, brought together representatives of ten countries, development partners, and stakeholders to strengthen regional cooperation, peacebuilding, climate resilience, and sustainable development across the two transboundary basins.

Prior to the Opening speech, there were
- welcome remarks from Mrs Angela Keyede, representing Nigeria’s National Focal Structure;
- A goodwill message on behalf of BMZ Germany Corporation and the European Union, delivered by Ms Anna Albrecht;
- H.E. Kocou Armand Houanye, NBA Executive Secretary, highlighted the strategic importance of the conference as a platform for addressing common challenges facing the Niger and Lake Chad basins. He also reported progress in implementing the PIDACC/BN and urged NBA member States and partners to sustain efforts toward achieving stronger development outcomes;
- Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, LCBC Executive Secretary emphasized the importance of water as an instrument for dialogue, peace, and development. He noted the significance of the Niger and Lake Chad basins for regional trade, livelihoods, and integration, acknowledged growing challenges in both basins, and reaffirmed member States' commitment to cooperative management of shared water resources and regional integration.

Declaring the conference open and the upcoming NBA regional workshops, Prof. Joseph Utsev
- Reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting regional cooperation through the NBA and LCBC;
- Advocated stronger collaboration between both institutions, greater integration of gender in water governance and investment planning, and a shift from viewing water cooperation solely as resource sharing to recognizing it as a catalyst for economic growth, environmental sustainability, peace, and regional stability;
- Reiterated Nigeria’s support for a joint NBA-LCBC Declaration and a portfolio of investments to be presented at the 2026 UN Water Conference;
- Expressed confidence that the conference would deliver practical recommendations and concrete actions to advance sustainable development across the two basins.