Fisheries Co-Management Arrangements in Lake Chad Basin, Borno and Yobe States

Fisheries co-management, defined as the sharing of management responsibility between government agencies and fishing communities, has gained traction as an approach to improving governance and sustainability of inland fisheries in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines existing and potential fisheries co-management arrangements in the Lake Chad Basin of Borno and Yobe States, North East Nigeria, where declining lake levels, security challenges, and weak state institutional presence have undermined conventional top-down fisheries governance. The study employs qualitative research methods including key informant interviews with 40 participants drawn from fishing cooperative leaders, state fisheries department officers, Lake Chad Basin Commission representatives, and NGO fisheries programme staff. Focus group discussions are conducted in six fishing communities spanning the Baga-Nganzai and Gashagar wetland areas. Document review examines existing co-management agreements, legal frameworks under the Fisheries Act, and international co-management precedents from comparable lake basins in Africa. Content analysis identifies enabling conditions for co-management success, existing governance structures, barriers to formalisation, and community readiness indicators. Findings are expected to highlight the critical role of traditional authority structures in de facto fisheries regulation and the potential for formalised community surveillance systems to complement state enforcement. Recommendations include a pilot co-management protocol for three fishing communities and a phased legal framework for co-management recognition under Borno State law. Keywords: fisheries co-management, Lake Chad, Borno State, governance, artisanal fisheries