Investing in Clean Water for 100 Million People

Through the many projects it has financed since 2015, the African Development Bank Group has helped 96.2 million Africans gain access to potable water and sanitation, train 4 million people, provide 2.5 million with access to education, and create more than 5 million jobs.

This year’s Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group are held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and the theme is “Making the most of Africa’s capital to foster its development.” It highlights the strategic importance of human capital in speeding up the continent’s development.

The Bank’s High 5 – five strategic priorities, including “improving the quality of life of Africans” – are progressing well. The Lesotho Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project helped students access drinking water right from their school’s taps. In Benin, the Programme for Achieving Drinking Water Security to Build Resilience in Rural Areas hopes to provide potable water for 965,000 people and generate jobs for 2,400 young people – 38% of whom are women. In Malawi, the Nkhata Bay Town Water Supply and Sanitation Project gives access to clean water to 91.94% of the population, compared with 37% before the project was implemented, making water available from 16 hours to 23.5 hours daily. In Cameroon, a flood prevention and management plan was developed for Yaoundé, the capital city. Regulation basins were built to reduce water flow from the Mfoundi River, and a network of hydro-meteorological measuring equipment has been installed. For 2025, the Bank plans to undertake at least 14 new projects, including four under the auspices of the African Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative.