BRUSSELS, 18 March 2025 — More than 50 people from development finance institutions, private sector investors, and philanthropic organisations took part today in a high-level event aimed at generating investment for water and sanitation services in Africa.

Hosted by the African Development Bank, African Water Facility, and the Association of European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI), participants who participated in the one day event in Brussels took in the African Development Bank and the African Water Facility showcase of investment-ready projects and those in their pipeline. The projects offer unique opportunities for investors and development financiers to support high-impact water and sanitation projects including homegrown solutions that will drive economic growth, social stability, and public health improvements across Africa.

“Water and sanitation infrastructure is fundamental to economic growth. Investing in it is not only a necessity, but good business sense. By securing funding for high-impact projects, we can create jobs, improve public health, and grow local economies,” said Mtchera Chirwa, Acting Director for Water Development and Sanitation, and Coordinator of African Water Facility.

The all-day gathering matters because Africa faces a water and sanitation crisis, amplified by increasing pressure on strained water resources by the continent’s growing population, expected to double by 2050. UNICEF and the World Health Organisation as of 2020 estimated that 779 million people lacked basic sanitation services, 411 million lacked access to safe drinking water, and 839 million people do not have access to basic hygiene services. This lack of access contributes to severe public health challenges, including the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea, which are responsible for over 400,000 deaths annually on the continent, according to the WHO.

The economic cost of inadequate access to water and sanitation is also high. The World Bank estimates that inadequate sanitation alone results in losses of up to $5.5 billion per year in sub-Saharan Africa due to health care costs and lost productivity. On the other hand, investing in climate-resilient WASH services could yield at least $7 in economic returns for every $1 spent.

To achieve universal access to safely managed drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services by 2030, the continent would require a 12-fold increase in progress for water services, a 20-fold increase for sanitation, and a 42-fold increase for hygiene services (UNICEF).

Chirwa added: “The challenge is not a lack of solutions, but a lack of sufficient investment and we are not just talking about charity or development aid.”

Beyond funding, the event will facilitate discussions on public-private partnerships, blended finance models, and innovative financing mechanisms to accelerate progress for the achievement of universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goal 6.

EDFI CEO David Kuijper concluded. “As stakeholders in development, together, we have the resources to make transformative change happen. The EDFI Association values the partnership with the African Development Bank and African Water Facility to convene this showcase to find financial and technical resources for solutions through projects already on the market in Africa.”

Media contacts  

Mary Ajayi, Communications Specialist, Water Development and Sanitation, media@afdb.org

James Pieper, Senior Communications Adviser, EDFI at james.pieper@edfi.eu.