Funding Gaps Strain Lake Chad Force as Nigeria Carries the Regional Burden ‎

Security experts are warning that the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) is running short of money at a time when violence around Lake Chad is rising. The force groups troops from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin.

It was set up to counter Boko Haram and later widened its focus to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Persistent funding and capability gaps now threaten efforts to contain both groups, and the force and its partners continue to identify shortfalls in equipment, logistics and operational support.

Nigeria is carrying a large share of the cost. Lake Chad Basin Commission records show that Nigeria directly disbursed about $209.08 million to the MNJTF between 2015 and 2021.

Other figures cited in the reports: Nigeria bears 72 percent of the regional displacement burden, security incidents rose by 80 percent over two years, and the European Union committed €234.4 million over ten years. Between September 2025 and May 2026, nearly 1,800 security incidents and more than 5,700 deaths were recorded across the Basin.

The force's composition has also changed. Niger suspended its participation, and the Institute for Security Studies reported earlier that Chad threatened to withdraw, which has made the burden on the remaining contributors heavier.

A senior official warned that the funding gap will persist unless other Basin countries raise their financial and operational contributions.

The defence minister has called for coordinated regional funding, and an expert argued that the Basin countries should develop a joint financing mechanism.

None of this is new. The head of the MNJTF mission said in 2023 that inadequate, inconsistent and insufficient funding prevented the force from sustaining large-scale operations against ISWAP. Crisis Group found earlier that the force faced funding problems from its 2015 revival, with commitments held up by bureaucracy that slowed procurement.

Experts also caution that money alone will not solve the problem. One said the MNJTF remains relevant for intelligence sharing and coordination on cross-border movements, but argued that stronger political commitment from governments is needed beyond funding. A University of Abuja expert said military operations cannot remove the underlying causes of insecurity.

The practical test is whether Basin governments move from calls for coordination to a predictable financing arrangement. Without one, the force stays dependent on a few contributors and on external partners, and the insurgents benefit from the gaps.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,

International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. (USIP)

[email protected]
+233555275880

Sources
The Guardian Nigeria, "Anti-terror war: Funding gaps strain MNJTF as Nigeria bears regional burden in Lake Chad." https://guardian.ng/news/anti-terror-war-funding-gaps-strain-mnjtf-as-nigeria-bears-regional-burden-in-lake-chad/

The Guardian Nigeria, "Funding gaps strain MNJTF as Nigeria bears regional burden in Lake Chad." https://guardian.ng/news/funding-gaps-strain-mnjtf-as-nigeria-bears-regional-burden-in-lake-chad/

HeadTopics, "MNJTF Funding Gaps Threaten Boko Haram Fight as Nigeria Bears 72% Displacement Burden." https://ng.headtopics.com/news/mnjtf-funding-gaps-threaten-boko-haram-fight-as-nigeria-88197733

Institute for Security Studies, "Decades of security cooperation under threat in Lake Chad Basin." https://issafrica.org/iss-today/decades-of-security-cooperation-under-threat-in-lake-chad-basin

Sahara Reporters, "Inadequate Funding Prevents Military From Degrading ISWAP Terrorists In Lake Chad – MNJTF Boss," 6 July 2023. https://saharareporters.com/2023/07/06/inadequate-funding-prevents-military-degrading-iswap-terrorists-lake-chad-mnjtf-boss

International Crisis Group, "What Role for the Multinational Joint Task Force in Fighting Boko Haram?" https://www.crisisgroup.org/rpt/africa/west-africa/291-what-role-multinational-joint-task-force-fighting-boko-haram