Fisheries Governance Assessment in the Lake Chad Basin Authority Region, Borno State

This study assessed the governance framework for fisheries management within the Nigerian section of the Lake Chad Basin Commission territory, with field data centred in Borno State, North East Nigeria. The Lake Chad Basin fisheries support millions of livelihoods across four countries, yet declining lake levels and decades of conflict have severely weakened governance institutions at national and community levels. The study applied an institutional analysis framework based on Ostrom's design principles for common pool resource governance, evaluating eight governance dimensions across the fisheries management system. Data were collected through interviews with 25 key institutional stakeholders, including state fisheries officials, local government representatives, community fisheries committee members, and Lake Chad Basin Commission staff. Documentary review of fisheries laws, co-management agreements, and monitoring reports was also conducted. Results revealed critical weaknesses in boundary definition, rule-making participation, monitoring capacity, and conflict resolution mechanisms. Fishing community representation in formal management bodies was minimal, with communities having no voting role in state-level policy processes. Monitoring and surveillance were severely under-resourced, with the state fisheries agency reporting fewer than six monitoring field trips to lake communities per year. Conflict resolution mechanisms were informal and inconsistent. Areas of strength included clear conventional resource use rules among traditional fishing communities and strong cultural norms of respect for elder-led fisheries authorities. The study recommends the formalisation of community co-management structures, improved resource allocation to the state fisheries monitoring function, and the restoration of a functional joint governance committee under the Lake Chad Basin Commission for the Nigerian section. Keywords: fisheries governance, Lake Chad Basin, institutional analysis, co-management, Borno State