Kikwete Urges Africa to Move from Water Pledges to Construction

Kikwete welcomed progress reports presented during the Addis Ababa session, highlighting institutional mechanisms designed to ensure delivery.

Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has issued a strong call to African leaders and development partners to move decisively from promises to implementation, warning that pledges alone will not deliver the water infrastructure Africa urgently needs.

Delivering closing remarks at the High-Level Side Event on Water Investment in Africa, held on the margins of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kikwete commended the African Union Commission, the Government of South Africa and partners for convening what he described as a critical follow-up to the AU–Africa Water Investment Summit held in Cape Town alongside last year’s G20 Summit.

---

“Pledges Alone Do Not Deliver Infrastructure”

Kikwete, speaking in his capacity as:

• Alternate Co-Chair of the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa

• Chair of the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA)

• Chair of the Africa Coordination Unit and Secretariat of the Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP)

said he has witnessed Africa’s steady shift from political ambition to structured investment systems.

However, he warned that the true test lies ahead.

“Pledges alone do not deliver infrastructure nor water. What matters now is disciplined follow-through,” he said.

---

Cape Town Summit: $10–12 Billion in Annual Commitments

Kikwete described the Cape Town Africa Water Investment Summit as a historic milestone, noting that between USD 10 billion and USD 12 billion in annual commitments had been pledged to support water development across the continent.

He said more than 80 projects from 38 countries were showcased, demonstrating Africa’s move from general aspirations to credible pipelines.

“Africa is no longer speaking in generalities. We are presenting credible, investment-ready pipelines,” he said.

---

New Accountability Tool: Water Investment Scorecard

Kikwete welcomed progress reports presented during the Addis Ababa session, highlighting institutional mechanisms designed to ensure delivery.

He singled out the AIP–PIDA Water Investment Scorecard as one of the most significant new accountability instruments.

Developed with technical support from the Global Water Partnership Organisation and partners, the scorecard allows AU Member States to:

• Track progress on water investments

• Identify implementation bottlenecks

• Strengthen governance and transparency

“This is not merely a publication; it is a governance instrument,” Kikwete said, congratulating the AU Commission for launching the first Scorecard Report.

---

Namibia to Host Global Water Partnership Headquarters

Kikwete also congratulated Namibia on concluding a Headquarters Agreement to host the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) in Windhoek, relocating its primary seat from Stockholm, Sweden.

“This is not simply 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 positioning Africa at the centre of global water governance.

---

Africa as Co-Architect of a Global Water Investment System

Outlining the Africa Water Investment Programme architecture, Kikwete said the AIP provides an integrated framework anchored on African soil, combining:

• Project origination and technical preparation

• Investment structuring and blended finance mobilisation

• High-level advocacy through the G20 Presidential Legacy and Global Outlook Council on Water Investments

“This model positions Africa not as a recipient of fragmented financing, but as a co-architect of a new global water investment system,” he said.

---

Call for Urgency: From Commitment to Capital to Construction

Kikwete stressed that Africa now has:

• Political leadership

• A defined pipeline of programmes

• Institutional architecture rooted on the continent

“What we must now accelerate is financial closure and implementation,” he said.

He pledged that the High-Level Panel would continue engagement at the highest political level, while GWPSA would intensify technical support and project preparation.

He called on Ministers from the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and development partners to ensure commitments translate into bankable projects and tangible impact.

“The measure of our success will not be in the number of declarations adopted, but in the number of communities gaining access to safe water and sanitation,” Kikwete said.

He concluded with a call for unity and urgency:

“Let this AU Summit year on water and sanitation be remembered as the year Africa moved decisively from commitment to capital, and from capital to construction.”