The African Water Facility disbursed €220 million in grants to 148 water and sanitation projects across 15 African nations at its 2025 Annual Meetings in Abidjan, boosting access for 23.2 million people and providing sanitation to 11.3 million others while irrigating 2 million hectares.
Founded in 2004 and operational since 2006, the facility began by funding the Volta River Basin Authority, a partnership that has since scaled to 148 projects and mobilised €2.1 billion in downstream investment.
At the meeting, the bank revealed a €90 million pipeline slated for the 2026‑2030 period, intended to strengthen project bankability and attract private‑sector participation across the continent.
The new strategy, unveiled in Abidjan, prioritises high‑quality, bankable project pipelines, innovative blended financing mechanisms and a reinforced focus on sanitation through the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative.
The next phase will roll out the 2026‑2030 strategy next month, with a scheduled launch of the AUSII window to accelerate urban sanitation financing and a workshop in Nairobi on June 12 to train local authorities on project preparation.