African countries have adopted a roadmap to achieve sustainable and universal access to safe water and sanitation on the continent.
The adoption followed the Africa Water Week which just ended in Tanzania.
A communiqué signed by the President of the African Ministers Council of Water Resources, Mr Gerson Lwenge, said the roadmap recognised the role of innovative financing and budgetary prioritization for the water sector, sanitation and monitoring.
The communiqué released on Monday said the adoption was in line with the efforts to realise the African Agenda 2063.
It expressed the belief that by increasing transparency and accountability in the sector, governments across Africa would be able to account for financial contributions on water security and sanitation.
The communiqué called for the allocation of necessary finances as well as better governance through increased transparency and accountability.
“Member states must step up efforts to realise the African Agenda 2063 on the ‘Africa we want’ because water is key to reducing poverty in Africa.
“There is need for us to put in place sound policies, legal and regulatory frameworks to support investments from various sources in water, sanitation and hygiene,’’ it added.
The roadmap was titled `the Dar es Salaam Roadmap for Achieving the N’gor Commitments on Water Security and Sanitation in Africa’.
The Sixth Africa Water Week represented a political commitment at the highest level for creating platform to discuss and collectively seek solutions to Africa’s water and sanitation challenges.