Nigeria and the African Union Commission (AUC) have stepped up collaboration to fast-track access to safe water and improved sanitation across the continent.
This follows a high-level meeting in Abuja between Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, and a delegation from the African Union and the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW).
The AU delegation was led by Harsen Nyambe, Director for Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy at the AUC, alongside Nelson Gomonda, Officer-in-Charge of the AMCOW Secretariat, and other senior officials.
Welcoming the team, Minister Utsev described the engagement as a strong demonstration of shared commitment to water security and sanitation.
He emphasised that water is central to Africa’s broader development goals, including food security, industrialisation, and climate resilience.
Utsev highlighted the African Union’s 2026 Theme of the Year, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems” as a key opportunity to advance the Africa Water Vision 2063.
He said the meeting focused on developing a robust 2026–2033 implementation plan to translate commitments into tangible results.
Nyambe commended Nigeria’s leadership in water governance and its role as host of the AMCOW Secretariat since 2002.
He noted that the visit forms part of wider consultations to ensure no African is left behind in water and sanitation access.
Despite growing attention, Africa still faces huge challenges, with over 400 million people lacking safe drinking water and more than 700 million without adequate sanitation, according to UN data.
The Abuja meeting is expected to strengthen regional efforts toward achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation in line with Agenda 2063.
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