At confab in Yaounde: Stakeholders call for urgent action towards universal access to water in Africa.

They made the fresh commitment at the opening session of the 96th Strategic and Technological Council, CST, of the African Water and Sanitation Association, AfWASA. 

The three-day conference, which opened on November 17, in Yaounde was presided over by the Minister of Water Resources and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, who stressed on the urgent need for coordinated actions. 

This was in the presence of the Director General of the Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation, CAMWATER, Dr Blaise Moussa, who doubles as current President of the AfWASA, 

He was accompanied by other members of the association as well as key partners.

The session is unfolding under the theme: “Sustainable water resource management and strengthening water and sanitation services: What strategic levers for strong action in Africa?”

In his address, Minister Eloundou Essomba presented alarming statistics that underscore the magnitude of the crisis.

The government official revealed that nearly 400 million Africans lack access to safe drinking water, while 700 million live without adequate sanitation. 

He said the disparity persists despite the continent’s considerable water resources.

The Cameroonian pointed to several persistent obstacles like climate change, rapid demographic growth, urbanization and insufficient investment, which he said, continue to hinder efforts to strengthen public water services. 

The Minister emphasized that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, SDG 6 will require translating scientific knowledge into tangible solutions on the ground. 

“This is a collective responsibility,” he declared, urging African states to align their strategies and mobilise significant resources for accelerated progress.

AfWASA boss insist water fundamental right

Taking the floor, the President of the African Water and Sanitation Association, AfWASA, Dr Blaise Moussa, called for more action on the ground, insisting that water and sanitation are not merely services, but fundamental human rights that influence public health, peace and socio-economic development. 

“We have shared our technical expertise... We have contributed to the sharing of best practices... in a spirit of constructive transparency in the service of collective learning” he said.

The Cameroonian insisted on the urgency of reinforcing regional cooperation and strengthening partnerships between African water operators.

“No country can tackle this crisis alone,” he affirmed, citing successful exchanges of expertise between operators in countries such as Congo and Chad. 

Dr Blaise Moussa called for deeper investments in research, innovation and capacity-building, stressing on priority areas such as digitalisation of water services, integrated watershed management and modern monitoring tools to improve the performance of water utilities.

Int’l Water Congress to be held in 2026

Dr Blaise Moussa in his remarks, announced the major International Congress scheduled for 2026 in Yaoundé.

He said the event expected to produce ambitious commitments and concrete roadmaps for achieving universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.

“Permit me announced the holding in February 2026 of the 23rd AfWASA International Congress and Exhibition. This decision, taken in accordance with the highest agreement of President Paul Biya, confirms Cameroon's position as a key player and a prime location for major events in the water sector in Africa,” he declared.

Participants highlight solutions…

During a high-level panel moderated by Dr Blaise Moussa, participants explored key themes shaping Africa’s water future. 

Discussions focused on: Integrated approaches to water resource management; National and regional regulations for water conservation; Climate-resilient water and sanitation systems and New predictive technologies for effective utility management

Panelists during the session, praised the significant advances made by Cameroon under government directives, particularly CAMWATER’s campaign to recruit 200,000 new subscribers to the national water network. 

Such initiatives, they argued, exemplify the type of large-scale operational commitments needed across the continent.

Participants at the session described the forum as a crucial space for consultation, aimed at analysing current constraints and crafting concrete, innovative and context-specific solutions. According to them, the growing demands on water resources, driven by climate change and rapid urbanisation, make such coordinated, multisectoral action more urgent than ever.

The international dimension of the conference, they noted underscore the global relevance of Africa’s water challenges and their quest for tangible solutions.

Participants believe that the momentum generated in Yaounde will galvanise the continent ahead of the global meeting. 

The Chairperson of the Strategic and Technical Council, Mahmood Lutaaya noted that: “We have realized that African challenges need to be met with African solutions. Thanks to out association, we are trying to re-strategize to deal with the challenges and we believe that there are a lot of progress made on the continent, there are many good solutions that are happening in different parts of Africa”.

He stated that at the level of AfWASA, they have decided to share experience and exchange so members can learn from each other. 

“We have thought it wise to mobilise the knowledge we have in the continent, establish a strategic technical council that brings together most of the experts in the continent, we have created specialist groups that discuss particular areas where we have challenges like sanitation, land revenue water which is affecting most parts of the continent, climate change,” Mahmood Lutaaya said.

Partnership on the making

One key highlight during the forthcoming congress, will be the signing of a partnership agreement between AfWASA and the African Confederation of Olympic Sports, CASOL.

The collaboration aims to harness sport and public health as vehicles for promoting water and sanitation awareness. 

By pooling their expertise and operational capacities, the two organizations hope to strengthen campaigns that contribute to social cohesion and sustainable development.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3631 of Thursday November 20, 2025