N'Djamena: The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has successfully concluded the Chad leg of the training and policy dialogue under the GONAT initiative (Governance of Natural Resources in Transition and Fragile States), which focuses on improving natural resource governance in fragile and transitioning countries.
According to African Press Organization, the GONAT initiative, launched in 2023, has conducted diagnostic studies, prepared training modules, and is now conducting a series of in-country training sessions and policy dialogues. These initiatives aim to help African countries build capacity to combat illicit financial flows (IFFs) and manage resource-backed lending more effectively. Following sessions in the Central African Republic and Sierra Leone, Chad is the third country to host this high-level GONAT policy dialogue, focusing on promoting transparent and accountable management of extractive resources. The subsequent sessions are planned for August in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.
The initiative emphasizes the importance of strengthening governance and transparency in the natural resource sector. Solomane Koné, Director of the African Natural Resources Management and Investment Centre, highlighted that GONAT is crucial for addressing challenges such as IFFs, illegal natural resource trade, and resource-backed lending. These efforts aim to ensure Africa’s natural wealth contributes to resilient growth and development.
The workshop in Chad brought together key figures, including Ahmat Abderahim Abbo, Secretary General in charge of Economy and Planning, and Professor Abdallah Mahamat-Nour, among others. Natural resource governance requires coordinated action across institutions, informed by data, and grounded in local realities. Dr. Solomane Koné emphasized that initiatives like GONAT equip countries with the necessary tools and partnerships to build resilient, accountable systems.
Eric Ogunleye, Director of the Banks African Development Institute, noted that IFFs cost the African continent nearly $90 billion annually, which is about 4% of its GDP, posing a significant obstacle to mobilizing domestic resources for infrastructure and social services. Discussions at the workshop also covered the risks associated with resource-backed lending, which can lead to over-indebtedness and vulnerability to commodity price fluctuations.
Jointly organized by the African Development Institute and the African Natural Resources Management and Investment Centre, the workshop combined technical sessions, case studies, and policy dialogue. Topics addressed included methods for detecting IFFs, legal and fiscal frameworks for extraction contracts, and tools for negotiating transparent resource-backed loans aligned with Sustainable Development Goals.
The workshop concluded with several recommendations. These included ensuring that knowledge and research inform decision-making in the natural resource sector, reforming mining laws and institutions, enhancing transparency, building technical capacities, and establishing multi-stakeholder commissions to audit resource flows. Ratifying and implementing key initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and related agreements were also suggested.
Mme Kadidja Hassane Abdoulaye expressed that a potential second phase of the GONAT initiative should focus on strategic areas for Chad’s natural resource sector, including geological studies and capacity building. Strengthening national systems and human capital is essential for transforming resource wealth into sustainable development.