Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has urged African leaders and development partners to decisively move from commitment to action, warning that promises alone will not deliver the water infrastructure Africa urgently needs.
Delivering his closing remarks at a high-level side event on water investment in Africa held on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mr Kikwete praised the African Union Commission, the South African government and partners for organizing what he described as an important follow-up to the African Union-African Water Investment Summit held in Cape Town in parallel with last year’s G20 summit.
“Infrastructure cannot be realized with pledges alone.”
Speaking from his own perspective, Kikwete says:
Acting Co-Chair of the International High-Level Panel on Water Investment in Africa
Chairman, Global Water Partnership South Africa (GWPSA)
Chair of the African Coordination Unit and the African Water Investment Program (AIP) Secretariat
He said he had witnessed Africa steadily moving from political ambitions to structured investment systems.
But he warned that the real test lies ahead.
“Pledges alone cannot deliver infrastructure and water. What is important now is disciplined implementation,” he said.
Cape Town Summit: Annual commitments of $10-12 billion
Mr Kikwete described the Cape Town Africa Water Investment Summit as a historic milestone, noting that between $10 billion and $12 billion was pledged annually to support water development across the continent.
He said more than 80 projects from 38 countries were on display, demonstrating that Africa is moving from a common aspiration to a reliable pipeline.
“Africa is no longer talking in general terms. We are presenting a reliable, investment-ready pipeline,” he said.
New Accountability Tool: Water Investment Scorecard
Kikwete welcomed the progress report presented during the Addis Ababa session and highlighted the institutional mechanisms designed to ensure implementation.
He cited the AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard as one of the most important new accountability measures.
Developed with technical support from the Global Water Partnership Organization and partners, the scorecard enables AU Member States to:
Track the progress of your water investments
Identify implementation bottlenecks
Strengthening governance and transparency
“This is not just a publication, it is a governance instrument,” said Kikwete, congratulating the AU Commission on releasing its first scorecard report.
Namibia hosts Global Water Partnership Headquarters
Mr Kikwete also congratulated Namibia on signing a headquarters agreement to move its main seat from Stockholm, Sweden, and host the Global Water Partnership Organization (GWPO) in Windhoek.
“This is more than just an institutional arrangement. Hosting the GWPO in Namibia represents a unique opportunity for Africa and the Global South to lead,” he said.
He praised Namibia’s leadership in putting Africa at the center of global water governance.
Africa as a co-designer of the global water investment system
Outlining the architecture of the African Water Investment Program, Mr Kikwete said the AIP provides an integrated framework rooted in African soil, combining:
Project initiation and technical preparation
Investment structuring and mixed finance mobilization
High-level advocacy through the G20 Presidential Legacy and Global Perspectives Council on Water Investment
“This model positions Africa not as a recipient of piecemeal financing, but as a co-builder of a new global water investment system,” he said.
Urgent call: From capital commitment to construction
Mr. Kikwete emphasized that the current situation in Africa is as follows:
“What we have to accelerate now is fiscal closure and implementation,” he said.
He pledged that the High-Level Panel would continue its engagement at the highest political level, while GWPSA would step up its technical assistance and project preparation.
He called on African Ministers’ Council of Water (AMCOW) ministers and development partners to ensure commitments translate into profitable projects and tangible impact.
“The measure of our success will not be determined by the number of declarations adopted, but by the number of communities that gain access to safe water and sanitation,” Kikwete said.
He concluded with a call for unity and urgency.
“Let this year’s AU Summit on Water and Sanitation be remembered as the year when Africa decisively moved from commitment to capital to capital and from capital to construction.”
