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.

Official Launch and Site Handover of the ECOWAS Special Water Project in Bauchi (Nigeria)

Bauchi, Nigeria – June 2026

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Water Resources Management Center (WRMC), officially launched construction activities and handed over project sites under the Special Project for Improving Access to Safe Drinking Water for Vulnerable Populations in ECOWAS Member States in Bauchi State, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Organized from June 1–7, 2026, this mission marks the effective commencement of field implementation of a regional initiative launched in July 2024 to strengthen sustainable access to safe drinking water through the construction of solar-powered Autonomous Water Stations (AWS) across ECOWAS Member States. Upon completion, the project is expected to deliver more than 200 facilities, benefiting over one million people, with strong involvement of women in the management of the completed infrastructure.

The official launch ceremony took place on June 4, 2026, in Darazo, in the presence of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services (CIS), representatives of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources of Nigeria, RUWASSA, local and administrative authorities, traditional leaders, contractors, and beneficiary communities.

During the ceremony, ECOWAS reaffirmed its commitment to improving living conditions for vulnerable populations and highlighted the strategic importance of access to water as a driver of social inclusion, public health, and regional development.

Following the official launch, the delegation proceeded with the handover of eight (08) project sites and the symbolic laying of foundation stones, signaling the beginning of construction activities. In communities facing severe water shortages, the initiative generated strong public engagement and expressions of gratitude from local leaders and residents.

WRMC reiterates its commitment to continuing the implementation of the Special Water Project across additional locations in the region to sustainably improve access to safe drinking water and strengthen community resilience throughout West Africa. Future phases include additional site handovers and project launch activities in other intervention areas.

Together for improved access to safe drinking water in West Africa.

Transboundary Water Management: Côte d’Ivoire launches the development of its National Implementation Plan for the United Nations Water Convention

Abidjan, June 2026

As part of strengthening water resources governance and implementing its international commitments, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire has officially launched the process of developing its strategy and National Implementation Plan for the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.

This initiative follows the country’s accession to the Convention on July 10, 2024, and marks an important milestone toward operationalizing national commitments in favor of sustainable and coordinated management of water resources.

The launch workshop, organized under the leadership of the Ministry of Water and Forests, is taking place in Cocody on June 2–3, 2026, and aims to identify national priorities, define a roadmap, and initiate the preparation of both the strategy and implementation plan.

At the opening session, the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Water and Forests emphasized that this initiative is aligned with the vision of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to make water a driver of peace, security, climate resilience, and sustainable development, in line with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She recalled that coordinated management of transboundary water resources is now a major challenge to ensuring water, food, and environmental security for populations.

For his part, the Director General of Water Resources stated that the 1992 Convention provides a legal framework enabling States to strengthen cooperation around shared water resources. He also stressed that Côte d’Ivoire shares several river basins with neighboring countries, making a coordinated approach essential to address challenges related in particular to pollution, water quality degradation, and the effects of climate change.

The process benefits from the support of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through the Convention Secretariat, and is expected to lead to the development of a National Action Plan accompanied by project fiches and legal, institutional, economic, and operational measures.

Through this initiative, Côte d’Ivoire reaffirms its commitment to integrated, sustainable, and cooperative water governance for the benefit of present and future generations.

Message from the ECOWAS Commission

Since 1993, the United Nations has marked World Water Day annually on 22 March, thereby affirming the universal significance of water as an essential resource at the very foundation of human life, health, dignity, and sustainable development. This important observance also serves as a powerful reminder of a pressing global reality: over than two billion people across the world still lack access to safely managed drinking water.

In this regard, World Water Day provides a vital platform for highlighting the efforts undertaken by States and the international community to address the global water crisis and to advance the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6, namely universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.

The commemoration for this year is held under the theme “Water for Equality,”.

The global water crisis continues to affect populations across the world in profoundly unequal ways. The persistent lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation not only reflects, but also deepens existing inequalities, disproportionately burdening women, girls, and the most vulnerable segments of our societies  

Across our societies, women and girls continue to shoulder the primary responsibility for the collection and management of water, as well as for the care of those affected by waterborne diseases. These disproportionate burdens have profound and far-reaching implications for their health, safety, and economic prospects, while they remain markedly underrepresented in decision-making processes and in access to financing within the water sector.

In West Africa, this situation remains particularly acute and is a matter of serious concern.

Since the landmark West African Conference on Integrated Water Resources Management IWRM (COA-IWRM) held in Ouagadougou in 1998, West Africa member States have demonstrated strong commitment to advancing a regional agenda on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in integrating gender, youth, and vulnerable groups. Notable achievements include:

Over the past decades, the region has recorded significant and commendable progress, notably through:

• the adoption, in 2008, of the West Africa Water Resources Policy, which enshrines gender equality and social inclusion as guiding principles;
• the implementation across numerous countries of national water and sanitation policies that systematically integrate gender-responsive and inclusive approaches; and
• the rollout of major regional programs addressing the critical nexus between water, climate, development, and gender, including targeted initiatives designed to enhance access to safe drinking water for vulnerable populations within ECOWAS Member States.

While these achievements are worthy of recognition and commendation, it must be acknowledged with candor that significant challenges persist.

Today, water governance in West Africa stands at a decisive and critical juncture. The intensifying impacts of climate change, rapid demographic growth, heightened competition over water resources, and enduring socio-economic vulnerabilities are exerting unprecedented pressure on our systems. In this evolving context, traditional approaches—predominantly technical and centralized in nature—can no longer adequately address the scale and complexity of the challenges before us.

There is now an urgent need for a profound transformation in our governance frameworks. The effective integration of gender, youth, and social inclusion is not merely a matter of fairness—it is a fundamental prerequisite for the sustainability, efficiency, and resilience of our water policies and interventions.

Women, youth, and vulnerable communities play a central role in the day-to-day management of water, yet remain underrepresented in decision-making arenas. This situation creates a disconnect between the actual needs of populations and institutional responses, thereby limiting the impact of investments and weakening social cohesion.

Conversely, experiences across several countries and river basins in the region demonstrate that more inclusive governance leads to more responsive policies, stronger local ownership, and reduced risks of water-related conflicts.

To accelerate the transition towards more equitable and inclusive water management, there is an imperative need for a profound and systemic transformation of our governance frameworks. Such a transformation must be underpinned by stronger and more binding legal instruments, enhanced institutional coordination, sustainable and predictable financing mechanisms, as well as robust monitoring and evaluation systems that are responsive to gender and youth considerations. It further calls for a deliberate and progressive shift away from entrenched social norms that perpetuate exclusion. Equally, it necessitates sustained investment in the capacity development of local actors, who remain the cornerstone of effective water policy implementation

Advancing truly inclusive water governance in West Africa requires that water be positioned as a strategic catalyst for social justice, sustainable economic development, and enduring peace. This endeavor calls for a resolute, collective, and well-coordinated commitment from all stakeholders—Member States, Transboundary Basin Organizations, local authorities, civil society, the private sector, as well as women and youth themselves.

It is in this very spirit that the theme of gender, youth, and social inclusion has been accorded a central and strategic place on the agenda of the First Edition of the West Africa Regional Water Forum (FREAO), to be convened in September 2026 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, under the theme: “Valuing Water to Transform West Africa.”

ECOWAS Water Resources Management Centre