Lagos, June 19, 2023 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has committed $3 million to the development of African Water Facility (AWF).
A statement by the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) said the funding was supporting the preparation of water and sanitation investment projects in Africa through the provision of grants and technical assistance to African countries and regional economic communities.
The bank said that since its inception, the facility had provided 205 million euros in grant funding for water and sanitation projects in Africa.
It said the facility had also enabled over 1.7 billion euros in downstream investment in the water and sanitation sector.
AfDB said access to water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa had remained a problem.
“Approximately 400 million people lack basic water supply services, while over 700 million people have no access to decent sanitation.
“Nearly 200 million people still practice open defecation, and 750 million have no hygiene access.
“Achieving water security and sanitation for all requires large-scale investment in water supply and sanitation, improved governance of water resources and operations, and the design of climate-resilient infrastructure.”
The African Water Facility, an initiative of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), is hosted by the AfDB.
It is the only African project preparation facility solely focused on addressing water and sanitation issues in Africa.
It will help African countries achieve the objectives and targets set by the water-related Sustainable Development Goals and African Water Vision 2025. (GBN)
