Millions of Nigerians have fled to the Lake Chad Basin to escape Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
Even before the influx of refugees, the semi-desert area lacked basic infrastructure.
Humanitarian agencies have admitted that the region has been grossly overlooked over time, and the influx of the refugees now places further strain on limited resources.
Aid agencies say winning the war against Boko Haram will solve half the problem.
In the meantime however, developing the Lake Chad Basin will at least allow these refugees to make a home here.
Boko Haram has waged an almost 10-year insurgency in West Africa, killing thousands of people and displacing millions others.
The group has however been pegged back over the past year, as West African states joined forces to battle it.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari pledged to crush the militant group, and he has often reiterated his intentions to do so.
The U.S. government has pledged to support Nigeria in this course by providing security assistance.
