Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima is in Istanbul, Turkey, attending a summit organized by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), where he is scheduled to address the international community with the aim of attracting development into the insurgency-ravaged state.

The Summit which began on Monday, May 23, 2016 is being attended by international donor agencies and humanitarian organisations.

The United Nations had described the problems caused by the Boko Haram insurgency around the Lake Chad region as one of the most neglected major crisis in the world.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communications and Strategy, Isa Gusau, Governor Shettima will serve as a panelist in a side event on the Lake Chad with the theme: “How to end suffering in the Lake Chad basin: A dialogue between local communities and the aid community”, with participants expected from different countries around the world.

Other panelists at the conversation will be the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Mr Yves Daccord and the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin.

Bulama Mali Gubio, patron of the Red Cross in Borno State and elder statesman is one of the dignitaries who accompanied Governor Shettima on the trip. He will also feature as a panelist in one of the events.

Borno is one of the states badly affected by the Boko Haram crisis and statistics indicate that it will require over $6 billion (about N2 trillion) to rebuild infrastructure in the state.

There have been notable efforts lately by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to begin the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Northeast region of the country, especially with the North-East Development Commission Bill that has been sent to the national assembly, which has passed the second reading.

But many agree that with the current economic situation of the country, there is need to approach international donor agencies and foreign governments for assistance – one of the reasons why Governor Shettima embarked on the trip.