By Abdullahi Lukman
Africa requires over $50 billion annually to achieve its sustainable development goals for clean water and sanitation, yet current investments stall at just $12 billion to $15 billion per year.
Claver Gatete, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), issued the urgent warning on Wednesday , during a high-level event at the African Development Bank Group Annual Meetings, calling for immediate, scaled action to close the massive funding deficit.
The severe underinvestment serves as a major economic bottleneck, directly impacting climate resilience, agriculture, energy, and public health across the continent.
Gatete revealed a stark human toll to the funding shortage, noting that over 400 million Africans still lack access to basic drinking water, while more than 700 million people live without safely managed sanitation services.
A critical flaw in current funding mechanisms is the misallocation of global climate funds.
Despite the fact that climate change impacts are primarily felt through severe water systems crises, water-related projects receive less than 3% of global climate finance.
Gatete emphasized that the primary challenge is not a lack of practical solutions, but rather a failure to properly prioritize, finance, and implement infrastructure at a meaningful scale.
To attract necessary private capital and bridge the multi-billion-dollar gap, the ECA chief urged African governments to systematically integrate water security into national fiscal policies and development plans.
He called for the expansion of blended finance mechanisms, improved project preparation systems to make infrastructure “investment-ready,” and tighter governance to ensure strict accountability.
The ECA reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission to translate these financial strategies into tangible, fully funded projects under the Africa Water Vision 2063 framework.
