Water investment gap in focus
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for greater investment in Africa’s water sector, saying political commitments must be translated into bankable projects and tangible results.
Nandi-Ndaitwah made the call in New York on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where she co-chaired the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa and Global Cooperation.
The meeting brought together African and international partners to mobilise investment and strengthen cooperation ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi.
The panel also presented its Progress Report 2021–2026, delivered by former Tanzanian president and alternate co-chair of the panel, Jakaya Kikwete.
The report assesses progress towards closing Africa’s water investment gap. It estimates that the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme has mobilised US$10 billion to US$12 billion in annual water investment pipelines towards a target of an additional US$30 billion a year by 2030.
“We must therefore translate political commitment into valuable projects and tangible results,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She said greater mobilisation of public, private and climate finance was needed, highlighting the importance of water investment to food security, poverty reduction, climate resilience and sustainable development.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also positioned Namibia as an investment destination for water infrastructure, pointing to plans under the sixth National Development Plan to expand and diversify the country’s water infrastructure.
These include water purification, aquifer recharge, raw-water distribution and seawater desalination.
