The Governing Council of the African Water Facility has adopted the organisation's new five-year strategy, marking a major milestone in efforts to mobilise resources and strengthen water security across Africa.
The adoption took place during the Facility's 25th Governing Council Meeting, held on 5-6 November 2025 in Cairo, Egypt, under the chairmanship of Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Dr Hani Sewilam. The Facility is hosted by the African Development Bank Group and operates under the auspices of the African Ministers' Council on Water.
The African Water Facility 2026-2030 Strategy outlines the institution's strategic priorities and orientation, aiming to strengthen its contribution to water security and universal access to safe sanitation across Africa. The strategy also reinforces the Facility's role as a catalyst for water and sanitation investments, focusing on project preparation, fundraising, and driving innovation in the sector.
"[The African Water Facility] is a dynamic and forward-looking institution...it is not only important - it is [also] indispensable", Minister Sewilam said in his opening remarks. He recalled that in May 2024, the Governing Council extended the Facility's mandate to 2050 and expanded its scope to include a new urban sanitation financing window featuring reimbursable grants, concessional instruments, and guarantees.
"These developments reflect our collective recognition that bold and adaptive approaches are needed to address Africa's growing water security challenges in a rapidly changing global context," he added.
The new strategy places strong emphasis on developing solid, investment-ready projects capable of attracting financing, while expanding innovative funding mechanisms to grow resources for the sector. It also prioritises institutional strengthening to enhance efficiency and impact.
During the Cairo meeting, the Governing Council approved the African Water Facility's 2026 Work Programme and Budget, reviewed progress on its 2025 portfolio, assessed implementation of previous recommendations, and examined future financing prospects.
Prof Sewilam stressed the Facility's critical role in advancing both the African Union's Africa Water Vision 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He urged development partners to expand their contributions to the Facility, enabling it to reach more communities, prepare more projects, and catalyse greater investment in Africa's water future.
Representatives from African Water Facility member countries and technical and financial partners, including the governments of Austria and Denmark, the Nordic Development Fund, and several regional institutions, commended the Facility's achievements over the year. They highlighted improvements in operational efficiency, documentation quality, and steady progress in rolling out the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative, which aims to help African governments, utilities, and private-sector actors expand safe, sustainable urban sanitation services.
Mtchera Chirwa, Director of the Water Development and Sanitation Department at the African Development Bank, expressed gratitude to the Governing Council and partners for their strong support.
"Your unwavering commitment, steadfast support, and enduring partnership have been instrumental in sustaining the African Water Facility and driving forward Africa's vision for water security and sustainable development. Guided by the 2026-2030 Strategy, the African Water Facility will reposition itself as a high-performing, innovation-driven institution. It will strengthen partnerships, expand private sector engagement, and diversify financing sources," Chirwa said.
Established in 2004, the African Water Facility supports African countries, river basin organisations and regional economic communities in preparing water and sanitation investment projects. Since its inception, it has financed nearly 150 projects in 52 countries, mobilising approximately €4 billion (approximately $4.6 billion) in downstream investments.
