Experts push urgent action on Africa’s water and sanitation crises at African Academic Heritage Fair 2026

The Association of African Universities Television (AAU TV), under the auspices of the Association of African Universities (AAU), has held the 2026 edition of the African Academic Heritage Fair (AAHF) in Accra.

The event, organised as part of activities marking African Union Day, brought together university leaders, researchers, students, policymakers, development partners, and youth groups from across the continent.

Held under the theme, “Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation: The Role of Higher Education in Achieving Agenda 2063,” the fair focused on strengthening the role of African universities in addressing water insecurity, sanitation deficits, and climate resilience challenges.

Speaking at the event, the Country Representative for Ghana covering West and Central Africa at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Professor Kehinde Ogbunjobi, raised alarm over the continent’s worsening water and sanitation crisis.

He stated that over 400 million Africans still lack access to safely managed drinking water, warning that the situation threatens public health, food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience.

“Over 400 million Africans lack safely managed drinking water in West and Central Africa,” he stated, adding that “water security is not a sectoral goal, it is a foundation of African human capital building, a foundation for African food security and climate resilient future.”

Prof Kehinde further called for Africa to mobilise at least 440 billion US dollars annually through blended finance, climate funds, and sovereign wealth mechanisms to improve water and sanitation systems across the continent.

He also highlighted the effects of climate change, poor sanitation infrastructure, and illegal mining activities on water resources, particularly in Ghana, where galamsey continues to pollute major rivers and threaten access to safe drinking water.

On her part, Director of Special Projects at the Association of African Universities, Dr Sylvia Mkandawire, stressed the need for collaboration, innovation, and youth participation in advancing Agenda 2063.

She urged stakeholders to move beyond discussions and commit to practical actions capable of improving climate resilience and sustainable development outcomes.

“History will not remember the challenges Africa faced, but what we chose to do about them,” she said.

Panel discussions during the event focused on water security, climate-resilient development, sanitation systems, governance, financing, and the role of universities in translating research into practical community solutions.

It also focused on youth leadership for water stewardship and resilient communities, with speakers encouraging young people to take initiative in promoting sanitation, environmental responsibility, and community transformation.

The event also showcased African research and innovation in climate-resilient water management, wastewater treatment technologies, groundwater mapping, sanitation systems, and behaviour change communication.

The African Academic Heritage Fair, established in 2022, serves as a pan-African platform aimed at connecting higher education institutions, policymakers, development actors, and young people around key continental development priorities.

Organisers say the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and policymaking by creating structured pathways for African-generated knowledge to influence practical development solutions.

The concept behind this year's edition is rooted in Agenda 2063, the African Union’s long-term development framework, which identifies education, innovation, science, technology, and youth empowerment as critical pillars for continental transformation.

According to the organisers, climate change, droughts, floods, water stress, and poor sanitation continue to threaten livelihoods and economic growth across Africa.

They cited projections by global institutions warning that climate-related disasters could displace up to 700 million people in Africa by 2030, while water scarcity could reduce economic growth in some regions by up to six per cent.