More than 200 solar-powered water stations will be built across the Community to benefit over one million vulnerable people.
Busura (The Gambia) – Ginger Hall, outskirts of Freetown (Sierra Leone), 14 July 2026 – Within a period of five days, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, through its Water Resources Management Centre (WRMC), officially launched the construction works for solar-powered Autonomous Water Stations (AWS) in two Member States: on Friday, 10 July 2026 in Busura, located about fifty kilometres from Banjul in the Republic of The Gambia, and on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 in Ginger Hall, on the outskirts of Freetown in the Republic of Sierra Leone.
These ceremonies were held under the framework of the Special Project entitled "Improving Access to Safe Drinking Water for Vulnerable Populations in ECOWAS Member States." In Sierra Leone, the launch followed the official handover of project sites to the contractors on 16 June 2026.
The launch ceremonies were attended by high-level officials from ECOWAS and the governments of the two beneficiary countries. In The Gambia, the event was honoured by the presence of His Excellency Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Commissioner for Internal Services, and the Minister of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters.
In Sierra Leone, the President of the ECOWAS Commission was represented by his Chief of Staff, alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation of Sierra Leone. ECOWAS Resident Representatives and Heads of National Offices, the Director of the WRMC, local authorities, and beneficiary communities also took part in the ceremonies.
Highlights of the events included speeches delivered by the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Ministers responsible for water resources in both countries, as well as the groundbreaking ceremonies held in Busura and Ginger Hall, which marked the effective commencement of the construction works. These were followed by the official handover of the project sites to the companies responsible for implementation.
A Regional Project Addressing a Major Challenge
Despite the progress achieved in recent years, access to safe drinking water remains a major challenge in rural areas across the ECOWAS region, where tens of millions of people still lack access to quality drinking water services.
To address this challenge, the ECOWAS Special Water Project, being implemented since July 2024, provides for the construction of solar-powered Autonomous Water Stations across all ECOWAS Member States.
These two successive launches demonstrate the project's growing momentum. Sierra Leone is part of the first phase currently under implementation in six countries — Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone — where at least fifteen (15) localities in each participating Member State, spread across all regions of the country, will benefit from the facilities.
The launch in Busura marks the beginning of the second phase of the project, covering Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Ghana and Togo. A third phase is currently under preparation with the concerned Member States, namely Benin and Senegal.
Ultimately, more than 200 solar-powered Autonomous Water Stations will be constructed for the benefit of over one million inhabitants, with strong involvement of women in the management of the facilities.
The project will contribute significantly to ending the burden of water collection for women and girls, reducing waterborne diseases, improving girls' school attendance and promoting income-generating activities in rural communities.
Community Ownership at the Heart of the Approach
Beyond the effective commencement of construction works, these ceremonies aimed to inform and raise awareness among local communities about the objectives and importance of the project, present its components and expected outcomes, and encourage ownership by the beneficiaries themselves.
They reflect ECOWAS' commitment to providing concrete and sustainable solutions to the essential needs of populations, in line with its vision of an "ECOWAS of the People."
The Water Resources Management Centre (WRMC) is the specialised agency of the ECOWAS Commission responsible for promoting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) across the Community. It serves as the implementing agency for the Special Water Project, which is fully financed through ECOWAS own resources.
ECOWAS encourages its technical and financial partners to support the implementation of this high socio-economic impact project aimed at improving the living conditions of vulnerable communities across West Africa.