Water Paradiplomacy in the Lake Chad Basin: Exploring the Role and Impact of the Governors’ Forum in the Governance Framework

The paper investigates the complex multilevel water governance framework in the Lake Chad Basin. It highlights the involvement of subnational governments in this framework as a notable deviation from traditional international relations practices. While arguing that the involvement of subnational governments, facilitated by the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, has the potential to enhance regional cooperation and sustainable water resource utilisation, the paper suggests that the consequential change in thinking has significant implications for the theoretical foundations of international relations. Although exploratory, the paper proffers a few recommendations with the potential to help combat the possible negative consequences of this development on statehood and the interactions in the Basin area.