Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva has known as on African nations to strengthen governance and construct establishments able to attracting funding into the water and sanitation sector, saying the continent’s problem shouldn’t be merely an absence of financing.
He stated this on Tuesday, August 18, whereas opening the Africa Water and Sanitation Methods Management Symposium 2026 in Kigali.
The four-day symposium introduced collectively African leaders, specialists, financiers and world companions to debate methods of delivering sustainable and investable water and sanitation providers.
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Throughout Africa, 418 million folks nonetheless lack entry to primary water providers, whereas 779 million lack primary sanitation and 839 million lack primary hygiene.
Nsengiyumva stated Africa has made a number of investments in water infrastructure, together with laying pipes, drilling boreholes and establishing remedy crops, however many amenities usually are not successfully delivering the providers for which they had been designed.
“The lesson is evident. Constructing infrastructure is essential, however to a big extent, it is just the start. Guaranteeing that the constructed infrastructure capabilities successfully and reaches communities over the long run is the actual measure of success,” he stated.
“How can we translate funding into dependable and lasting providers? The reply lies in stronger establishments, efficient governance, sustainable financing, and accountable management. Slightly, we should always take into consideration how we construct the type of establishments that cash needs to seek out.
Nsengiyumva stated governance and management are conditions for reaching water safety in Africa, pointing to the Africa Water Imaginative and prescient and Coverage 2063 by African Ministers’ Council on Water.
He cited findings from the African Union’s panel on water funding, which he stated present that higher governance, together with efficient tariffs, income assortment and disciplined monetary administration, might unlock about $11.5 billion yearly, whereas improved home useful resource mobilisation might unlock one other $17.5 billion.
“Whereas international partnership is essential, we see that international help is a modest line within the accounts. This goes to point out that Africa’s water future can and must be paid for by Africans,” he stated.
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Nsengiyumva stated traders usually tend to commit capital to establishments that exhibit monetary self-discipline, accountability and the power to ship on their commitments.
He additionally acknowledged that Rwanda’s water sector reforms stay incomplete, together with efforts to cut back non-revenue water.
“In my opinion, there’s nothing non-revenue about water that has been handled and pumped that by no means reaches the folks it’s meant to serve. That’s an enormous lack of sources and, extra importantly, a lack of service to our residents.”
Damien Murwanashyaka, Minister of Infrastructure, additionally famous that Africa nonetheless faces main gaps in water entry, service high quality, financing and distribution capability regardless of progress.
“We should construct dependable, reasonably priced, secure, resilient and sustainable water and sanitation techniques that may serve our rising inhabitants and economies over the long run,” he stated.
He known as for a shift from infrastructure supply to sustainable service provision, with higher reliance on home sources and private-sector participation.
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“This requires a basic shift from challenge techniques, from infrastructure supply to sustainable providers, from dependence on exterior financing in direction of stronger home useful resource mobilisation and higher personal sector participation,” he stated.
Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, Assistant Minister of International Affairs for Power and Sustainability of the United Arab Emirates, famous that local weather change, inhabitants development, urbanisation and rising demand are inserting growing stress on water techniques globally.
He stated the precedence now’s to mobilise partnerships, finance, know-how and political management to show commitments into measurable outcomes .
Balalaa stated the necessity for extra investable initiatives, stronger institutional capability and reforms to draw financing at scale additionally presents an financial alternative for Africa.
“Water shouldn’t be solely a improvement crucial, it’s an financial crucial, and it’s a enormous alternative for everybody. Stronger water techniques help jobs, productiveness, meals safety and long-term prosperity. Therefore, unlocking funding in water means unlocking funding in Africa’s future,” he stated.
