President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Ambassador Babagana Kingibe as his special envoy to Chad and the Lake Chad Basin Region.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this is in a statement in Abuja, said Kingibe’s appointment has cabinet rank status.
“This appointment of a Special Envoy by the President is also in consonance with the resolution of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission Member Countries, on the situation in Chad on the 25th of May, 2021.
“The Special Envoy will amongst others: (i) Monitor developments in Chad and the Lake Chad Basin Region; (ii) aid reconciliation and seamless progress towards return to democratic rule at the end of the current Transitional Military Council’s rule; (iii) Collaborate with member Countries and partners in the region with similar initiatives to restore stability, promote peace and, security; and (iv) Promote any other initiative ancillary to the restoration of peace and security in Chad, the North East Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin Region,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Kingibe’s appointment demonstrated the determination of Nigeria to lead regional security efforts that would stabilize the Lake Chad Basin Region, bring peace to Chad and ultimately eliminate the Boko Haram Insurgency in the North East zone of Nigeria.
“This is also a fulfilment of the President’s promise to General Mahamat Deby Itno, the President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad, to support a seamless progress towards return to democratic rule, when he visited Nigeria in May, 2021.
“The Special Envoy, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe is an accomplished multi-lingual diplomat, who had at various times served the nation as Federal Permanent Secretary, Secretary to the Constituent Assembly, Cabinet Minister and Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He had also participated in previous Nigeria-led Chadian reconciliation talks (Kano 1 & II as well as Lagos 1 & II),” the statement said.
