African Water Ministers have commenced strategic search to finding solutions to the plight of 800 million people across Africa lacking access to safely managed sanitation and 400 million without safe drinking water.

It was learnt that the search was part of the agenda of the recent meeting of West African Sub-Regional Ministerial Committee Consultation held in Abuja.

The meeting Organized by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, had West African leaders, policymakers, and key stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector to brainstorm on the numerous challenges in the sector.

Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Richard Pheelangwah, stated that there was need to strengthening water security and also improve sanitation in Africa.

He noted that the consultative meeting was designed to create opportunity for enhanced regional cooperation and innovative financing mechanisms to achieve sustainable water and sanitation solutions in the continent.

According to him, Nigeria as a notable leader in Africa has taken giant steps towards ” launching several landmark initiatives, including the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme, in partnership with the World Bank; The Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (PEWASH) Programme, aimed at improving water access in rural communities; the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign, focused on ending open defecation and the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) Project, designed to enhance water storage and maximize socio-economic benefits”

He also added that, ” findings from the 2024 Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring and Reporting (WASSMO) Report, which revealed limited sector investment, with heavy reliance on Official Development Assistance (ODA); Insufficient service delivery, with 800 million people across Africa lacking access to safely managed sanitation and 400 million without safe drinking water.

” Only 20% of Africa’s hydropower potential has been developed, 10% of irrigation capacity is utilized, falling short of the 30% target for 2025 as well as Climate change threats, as Africa’s population is projected to exceed 2.5 billion by 2050, with global temperature rise expected to exacerbate water-related disasters”.

Also speaking at the event, AMCOW Executive Secretary, Dr. Rashid Mbaziira, said that one of the solutions to water and sanitation challenges in Africa was developing a modernized and climate-resilient water management framework that aligns with the aspirations of West African communities.

Also, Emily Kilongi, representing the African Development Bank (AfDB) noted that the regional bank have been working in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a continent where water resources are efficiently managed for economic growth.