Abuja, September 11, 2025
A Sahara and Sahel Observatory delegation, led by Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra, Executive Secretary, and comprising Ms. Soumaya Mouhli, Ms. Lilia Benzid, and Mr. Robert Onyango, held a working session with representatives of Yobe State (Nigeria). The meeting was rich and constructive, and aimed at strengthening synergies and identifying concrete actions to increase the resilience of populations and ecosystems.
Climate change, land degradation, biodiversity loss, income generating activities and increasing pressure on water resources were at the heart of the discussions, which called for the rational use of groundwater as a central lever for adaptation, local development, and water security.
After attending the OSS presentation on its integrated approach, focused on community resilience and collaborative natural resource management, Yobe State representatives expressed their interest in technical support for the development of bankable requests to be submitted to Climate Funds, particularly for sustainable water management.
Today's meeting laid the foundations for collaboration around the OSS strategic lines of intervention, namely adaptation to climate change, integrated water resource management - particularly groundwater - and sustainable development. It also opened up promising and engaging perspectives, commensurate with the challenges facing northeast Nigeria, rooted in local realities and driven by the OSS expertise, for the benefit of the people of Yobe and future generations.