Stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector have called for enhanced support from the private sector for easy access to clean water in Africa by 2030.
Addressing journalists during the Kenya Water and Sanitation International Conference and Exhibition 2025, Director, Water and Sanitation Department, African Development Bank, Mtchera Chirwa, noted that it was necessary for the government to harness partnerships with the private sector to achieve the stated objective. "At the moment, when we look across Africa, there's a financing gap of over $50 billion annually to be able to close the investment needs for water and obviously those resources need to come from various sources apart from the government; hence, the private sector needs to invest more in the water sector," said Mtchera.
He further urged the government to improve the operation and maintenance of water investments, noting that such facilities are still falling short of the level required to sustain them for the long term.
Themed 'Innovative Financing Models, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Pathways to Climate-Smart Water and Sanitation Solutions', the forum serves as a platform for various stakeholders to gather in order to discuss ways of achieving better results, especially in terms of safely managed sanitation.
