The African Union Commission (AUC), water ministers from across Africa, and their development finance partners support convening an AU Water Investment Summit in 2025, in the context of South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
“The AU Africa Water Investment Summit will support the African Union and the AU-AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa to mobilise an additional US$30 billion per year by 2030 to implement the AU’s Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP),” said Jihane El Gaouzi (left), Head of the AU’s Sustainable Environment Division, who was speaking on behalf of H.E. Josefa Correia Sacko, AU Commissioner: ARBE.
“H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, first committed to convening the AU Africa Water Investment Summit at the Heads of State level in collaboration with the High-Level Panel during the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2023,” said Hon. Pemmy Majodina, Minister of Water and Sanitation for South Africa.
Hon. Pemmy Majodina was speaking on 16 October 2024, during a High-Level Ministerial Breakfast Consultation, convened by the Republic of South Africa, in collaboration with the Republic of Senegal and Republic of Namibia the AU-AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, at the 9th Africa Water Week in Cairo, Egypt.
Elevating Africa’s water agenda to G20 platform
“The AU Water Investment Summit 2025 will build on the White Paper Water track of the G20, initiated and led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during their G20 Presidency in 2020 and proceeded with the momentum through the G20 Presidency of France, India, Indonesia and now Brazil,” said Minister Majodina (shown below).
“South Africa’s G20 Presidency is an unmissable opportunity to escalate water to the global agenda of G20 as part of an inclusive and progressive development agenda that leaves no one behind,” she added.
Towards concrete commitments to close the Africa’s water investment gap
Hon. Carl Schlettwein, Namibian Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform said that Namibia, as founding Co-Chair of the High-Level Panel, will support the AUC and South Africa to prepare for an effective Summit that leads to concrete outcomes and commitments and accounts for youth and gender-inclusivity.
“Specific outcomes from the AU Water Investment Summit will be concrete commitments to support the implementation of projects in the pipeline of the AIP Africa Water Investment Platform and AIP Blended Facility, that had just been launched at the Africa Water Week with an initial pipeline of projects worth US$37bn,” said Hon. Schlettwein.
Africa needs to invest an additional US$30bn per year in water and sanitation in order to meet its growing economic and social needs. The AU’s AIP seeks to mobilise the resources necessary by transforming the investment outlook for water sector projects.
Hon. Hani Sewilam (shown left), Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, who is also currently President of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), committed to supporting the AUC and South Africa and work with AU Member States to deliver the aspirations of the AIP and a successful AU Water Investment Summit.
Towards the UN 2026 Water Conference
Hon. Sheikh Tizian Ndiaye, Senegal’s Minister of Water and Sanitation announced that as both Co-Chair of the High Level Panel and Co-Host of the UN 2026 Water Conference, Senegal will work closely with the AU, South Africa and other Panel members to ensure that the AU Water Investment Summit 2025 consolidates the African position on water investments and contributes to the UN 2026 Water Conference.
“The AIP remains our blueprint for an equitable and prosperous future. The vision of an inclusive and water-secure world will guide Senegal as we prepare to co-host the UN 2026 Water Conference along with the United Arab Emirates. The opportunity to scale the AIP globally as we approach 2026 is within our reach,” said Minister Dieye.
The convening of the AU Africa Water Investment Summit was also supported by development finance and technical partners including the World Bank, African Development Bank and African Water Facility, AUDA-NEPAD, UNDP, Global Water Partnership-Africa, and others.
Mr. Alex Simalabwi, Chief Executive Officer of the AIP and High-Level Panel Secretariat, who moderated the High-Level Ministerial Breakfast, said “We are excited to see the increased momentum towards the 2025 AU Water Investment Summit in the context of the G20 Presidency of South Africa.”
“The AUC, water ministers and finance partners’ who have voiced their joint commitment for the inaugural AU Water Investment Summit are also inviting Heads of State, Heads of Development Finance institutions, the Private Sector, civil society, youth and others to join them,” said Mr. Simalabwi, who is also the Executive Secretary of GWPSA-Africa.