Libreville, July 15, 2026 (Gabon News Agency) – In N’Djamena, the Forum on African Water has opened its doors to African leaders. This is one of the most decisive battles of the 21st century.
In treading on Tchadian soil to participate in the forum, Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema has placed his country at the heart of a debate that now extends beyond environmental boundaries to touch on the very foundations of development, economic stability, and national sovereignty.
Welcomed by the Tchadian Prime Minister, Allah-Maye Halina, the Gabonese President joined a continental meeting organized jointly by Chad and the World Bank around a clear ambition. To transform political commitments into concrete realizations capable of guaranteeing access to potable water for hundreds of millions of Africans.
Placed under the theme « From Vision to Action », this meeting brings together several African leaders, international financial institutions, technical partners, and major development actors around a single question. How to finance and accelerate the construction of hydraulic infrastructure that Africa needs to support its demographic growth and economic growth?
The Water: A New Front for African Sovereignty
Long considered a social or health issue, water has become one of the main geopolitical challenges on the continent. Africa possesses nearly 9% of the world’s renewable freshwater resources but remains paradoxically the region where millions of people lack access to clean water.
The World Bank, co-organizer of this two-day forum, aims to accelerate investment in a sector whose needs amount to tens of billions of dollars every year.
From Vision to Action
The choice of the forum’s theme is not coincidental. For decades, studies have identified Africa’s water needs and strategies have been developed. The real challenge lies in transforming these commitments into tangible infrastructure that can be seen and accessed by the population.
Barrages, distribution networks, sanitation systems, treatment stations, recycling technologies, and innovative solutions must form the pillars of this new water economy that the continent is trying to build.
By participating in N’Djamena, President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema reaffirms Gabon’s commitment to strengthened African cooperation on hydric issues and its willingness to contribute, along with other African states, to finding durable solutions. Behind the technical debates and financial mechanisms lies a much more fundamental reality.
The water challenge is no longer just an infrastructure issue. It has become one of the main indicators of Africa’s ability to transform its natural resources into collective prosperity, social stability, and sustainable sovereignty for future generations.
FIN/GABON/2026
Copyright Gabon News Agency
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