Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva has called on African countries to strengthen governance and build institutions capable of attracting investment into the water and sanitation sector, saying the continent's challenge is not simply a lack of financing.
He said this on Tuesday, August 18, while opening the Africa Water and Sanitation Systems Leadership Symposium 2026 in Kigali.
The four-day symposium brought together African leaders, experts, financiers and global partners to discuss ways of delivering sustainable and investable water and sanitation services.
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Across Africa, 418 million people still lack access to basic water services, while 779 million lack basic sanitation and 839 million lack basic hygiene.
Nsengiyumva said Africa has made several investments in water infrastructure, including laying pipes, drilling boreholes and constructing treatment plants, but many facilities are not effectively delivering the services for which they were designed.
"The lesson is clear. Building infrastructure is important, but to a large extent, it is only the beginning. Ensuring that the built infrastructure functions effectively and reaches communities over the long term is the real measure of success," he said.
"How do we translate investment into reliable and lasting services? The answer lies in stronger institutions, effective governance, sustainable financing, and accountable leadership. Rather, we should think about how we build the kind of institutions that money wants to find.
Nsengiyumva said governance and leadership are prerequisites for achieving water security in Africa, pointing to the Africa Water Vision and Policy 2063 by African Ministers' Council on Water.
He cited findings from the African Union's panel on water investment, which he said show that better governance, including effective tariffs, revenue collection and disciplined financial management, could unlock about $11.5 billion annually, while improved domestic resource mobilisation could unlock another $17.5 billion.
"While foreign partnership is important, we see that foreign assistance is a modest line in the accounts. This goes to show that Africa's water future can and should be paid for by Africans," he said.
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Nsengiyumva said investors are more likely to commit capital to institutions that demonstrate financial discipline, accountability and the ability to deliver on their commitments.
He also acknowledged that Rwanda's water sector reforms remain incomplete, including efforts to reduce non-revenue water.
"In my view, there's nothing non-revenue about water that has been treated and pumped that never reaches the people it is meant to serve. That's a big loss of resources and, more importantly, a loss of service to our citizens."
Damien Murwanashyaka, Minister of Infrastructure, also noted that Africa still faces major gaps in water access, service quality, financing and distribution capacity despite progress.
"We must build reliable, affordable, safe, resilient and sustainable water and sanitation systems that can serve our growing population and economies over the long term," he said.
He called for a shift from infrastructure delivery to sustainable service provision, with greater reliance on domestic resources and private-sector participation.
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"This requires a fundamental shift from project systems, from infrastructure delivery to sustainable services, from dependence on external financing towards stronger domestic resource mobilisation and greater private sector participation," he said.
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Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability of the United Arab Emirates, noted that climate change, population growth, urbanisation and rising demand are placing increasing pressure on water systems globally.
He said the priority now is to mobilise partnerships, finance, technology and political leadership to turn commitments into measurable outcomes .
Balalaa said the need for more investable projects, stronger institutional capacity and reforms to attract financing at scale also presents an economic opportunity for Africa.
"Water is not only a development imperative, it is an economic imperative, and it is a huge opportunity for everyone. Stronger water systems support jobs, productivity, food security and long-term prosperity. Hence, unlocking investment in water means unlocking investment in Africa's future," he said.
