Content: 2025 Annual Meeting Side Event: Utilizing Water and Sanitation Investment in Africa – The Role of Operation of African Water Facilities
WHO: African Development Bank, African Water Facilities, Partners
Date and time: Tuesday, May 27th, 2025. 16:00-17:30 GMT
Location: Salle des Fêtes, Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire
The African Development Bank Group and African Water Facilities, bystanders of the 2025 Annual Meeting, will hold discussions on investment in African water and sanitation.
The side event aims to showcase the essential role of African water facilities in supporting regional member states of the African Development Bank in achieving water and sanitation goals, while investigating new partnership opportunities. The discussion will focus on the vision of equitable water resources management for African water facilities to reduce poverty, promote socioeconomic development, promote regional cooperation, promote climate resilience, and enhance environmental protection.
African Water Facilities is a Project Reserve Fund that mobilizes funding for water and sanitation infrastructure development across Africa. Provides grants, technical assistance, government investment support and partnerships to implement sustainable water projects.
The programme presents highlights and impacts from 20 years of operation and future ambitions under the new 2026-2030 strategy for Africa Water Facilities, including an overview of the African Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative, a facility funding window for sanitation projects, an overview of the African Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative.
The panel discussion addresses key aspects of achieving universal water and sanitation access, including preparing bankable projects, the African Union’s water vision and policy framework after 2025, evolving funding mechanisms for water infrastructure, private sector engagement in water and sanitation infrastructure delivery, and the launch of African urban sanitation investment as an African urban sanitation investment initiative model.
The event is expected to attract a diverse audience, including government and local organisations, donors and international organizations, water bodies experts, policy makers, private sector stakeholders, and academia.
African Water Facilities are the African Minister’s water initiative hosted and managed by the African Development Bank. Since 2006, the facility has provided multiple grants totaling 220 million euros covering 148 projects and mobilised 2.1 billion euros of downstream investment. These projects improved access to sanitation, water supply for 23.2 million people, and provided 11.3 million people with irrigation equipped to 2 million hectares. The facility’s current project pipeline is valued at €90 million, benefiting 15 African countries.
