Martin Endjala
The African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) is calling for more budgetary allocation for water infrastructure to ensure security of this vital resource.
Speaking at the opening of water officials meeting, the Executive Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, as the current AMCOW Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) chair, emphasized that the Africa water mission 2025 calls for acceleration of water security, which is underpinned by continental and global context, adding that the vitality of water has become even more demandable, as it is the answer to community social wellbeing, which includes peace, transportation, regional cooperation and industries, which are sectors that drive the economies of the countries.
He stressed that Africa needs to do more if it is to attain water security on the continent given the forever changing climate, which has become unpredictable over the years.
‘’Indeed, water is fundamental for ensuring better public health outcomes, regional cooperation
and integration, industrialisation, food security, transportation, peace and development,’’ Nghituwamata said.
Also speaking at the event was the African Union Commission representative Nyambe Harsen Nyambe, who indicated that severe droughts are a risk to many societies, who desperately depend on water. Therefore. sectors depending on water require government to scale up its budget in order to achieve the United Nations Africa development agenda by 2030.
Nyambe said dilapidated infrastructure needs to be brought back to a standard that it can compete with the new 4IR, urging governments and private sector to cooperate.
Water security, he continued, is the most valuable resource to drive many sectors in Africa, therefore Nyambe is of the opinion that it will provide food security for the continent including economic sustainability.
Water minister will meet on Wednesday review the AMCOW Governance Framework and Document Framework for AMCOW Strategic Programme on Groundwater for Water Security and Resilience in Africa.
The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) was formed in 2002 in Abuja Nigeria, primarily to
promote cooperation, security, social and economic development and poverty eradication among member states through the effective management of the continent’s water resources and provision of water supply services.
In 2008, Heads of State and Government of the AU agreed on commitments to accelerate the achievement of water and sanitation goals in Africa and mandated AMCOW to develop and follow up an implementation strategy for these commitments.
AMCOW has also been accorded the status of a Specialised Committee for Water and Sanitation in the African Union.
