The Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP), endorsed by the African Union (AU) Executive Council in 2021 (EX.CL/Dec.1169(XLI)), is a transformative initiative under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA-PAP2).

Aimed at mobilizing USD 30 billion annually by 2030 to address Africa’s water investment gap of USD 45–54 billion per year, the AU-AIP is a cornerstone of the African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action (2023). Central to this mission is the AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard, a flagship tool designed to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in water finance and investments across PIDA-PAP2 water projects (2021–2030).

Approved by the AU Heads of State and Government in February 2022 (Assembly Decision AU/Dec.813(XXXV)), the Scorecard tracks progress in three key pillars:

• 1-Enabling Environment for Water Investments (Pillar 1): Evaluates policy frameworks, governance structures, and institutional capacity to foster water investment readiness.
• 2-Mobilizing Water Investments and Financing (Pillar 2): Monitors resources from public budgets, official development assistance (ODA), private sector, development banks, and other sources.
• 3-Enhancing Investment Performance and Sustainability (Pillar 3): Assesses operational efficiency, financial sustainability, and climate resilience of water investments.

The Scorecard’s objectives are to strengthen accountability, support countries in achieving SDG 6 (water and sanitation), set benchmarks for cross-country learning, engage public and private investors, and guide governments in identifying investment opportunities.

From Pilot to Continental Rollout

In 2023, the Scorecard was successfully piloted in 10 AU Member States: Benin, Cameroon, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Central African Republic, and Togo. Building on this success, it is now being rolled out across all 55 AU Member States. The Scorecard supports biennial reporting to the Head of States and Government (HoSG), ensuring a robust framework for tracking water investment progress.

Milestones and Roadmap

The development of the First Continental AIP PIDA Water Investment Scorecard Report follows a structured process. Key milestones include training workshops and technical webinars to equip AU Member States with data collection methodologies, followed by the official launch of a continent-wide data collection campaign. Member States, supported by National Focal Points, collect and validate data, with periodic reviews to assess progress. The process culminates in data analysis, stakeholder validation, and the drafting of the continental report, which is submitted for review by the AUC’s Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Environment (STC-ARBE), the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), and the Executive Council. The report is then presented to the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government for official adoption, marking a significant step in advancing Africa’s water investment agenda.

Collaborative Framework

The Scorecard’s development is a collaborative effort involving the Member States, AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, AMCOW, the AIP Secretariat (GWP Africa), RECs, and development partners. This partnership leverages each entity’s strengths to deliver a comprehensive and impactful report, driving Africa’s water security agenda forward.

The AIP PIDA Water Investment Scorecard helps catalyze Africa’s water security by strengthening continental leadership and political commitment to close the water investment gap. It further supports efforts to prioritize mobilization of innovative financing mechanisms, enhancing strategic partnerships with global and private sector stakeholders, and aligning water investments with climate resilience and sustainable development goals.