KIGALI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Officials and water and sanitation sector stakeholders have called for sustainable financing, stronger institutions, accountable leadership, and increased private-sector participation to transform water and sanitation services and ensure lasting access for communities across Africa.
The call was made on Tuesday during the formal opening of the Africa Water and Sanitation Systems Leadership Symposium 2026, themed "Accelerating Water and Sanitation Transformation for Sustainable Impact," which is being held from Monday to Friday in the Rwandan capital of Kigali. The symposium is jointly organized by the African Union, the African Ministers' Council on Water, and the government of Rwanda.
Opening the symposium, Rwandan Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva said Africa has made significant investments in water and sanitation infrastructure, including the construction of pipelines, boreholes, and treatment plants, but noted that many of these facilities are not delivering services effectively.
"Building infrastructure is important, but to a large extent, it is only the beginning," Nsengiyumva said the continent must focus on translating investments into reliable and lasting services through stronger institutions, effective governance, sustainable financing, and accountable leadership.
Speaking at the event, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Moses Vilakati underscored the important role of young people in developing innovative solutions to Africa's development challenges.
Vilakati said the African Union recognizes the capacity of young Africans to generate innovative solutions and announced support for young innovators participating in the symposium.
At the symposium, Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure Damien Murwanashyaka emphasized that water and sanitation should be treated as fundamental drivers of public health, economic development, climate resilience, urbanization, and human dignity rather than merely as sectoral priorities.
He called for a fundamental shift from projects to systems and from infrastructure delivery to sustainable services. He also stressed the importance of reducing dependence on external financing by strengthening domestic resource mobilization and increasing private-sector participation.
The symposium is expected to strengthen political commitment and foster practical partnerships aimed at transforming Africa's water and sanitation systems into financially sustainable, resilient, and accountable services capable of meeting the needs of a growing population.
