Copyright ghanaguardian
Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged African leaders to take bold and united action to address the continent’s growing challenges around water, peace, and security, proposing the establishment of an African Water Peace Initiative to promote cooperation and sustainable management of shared water resources. Delivering the inaugural address at the 2025 International Conference on Water, Peace, and Security in Nairobi, Kenya, the former Ghanaian leader — who serves as a patron of the conference — reflected on Africa’s longstanding struggles in implementing existing frameworks on water governance. He noted that, while many regional agreements exist, political will and coherent coordination remain the missing elements in securing lasting solutions. Akufo-Addo highlighted the immense potential of Africa’s natural water resources if harnessed collaboratively. He cited the Inga Dam project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a transformative opportunity for the continent. The dam, with a projected capacity of about 44,000 megawatts, could become the world’s largest hydropower facility and generate enough electricity to power much of Africa’s industrialization and economic growth. However, he lamented the prolonged delays and financing challenges that have stalled the project for years. Touching on other regional water-related disputes, the former President called for renewed diplomacy between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Nile River, stressing that amicable cooperation could yield immense mutual benefits. “Proper cooperation towards an amicable resolution on the Nile River dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia can reap immense benefits for the countries involved,” he emphasized. Akufo-Addo also underscored that water security must go hand in hand with equity and justice. He noted that access to clean water and sanitation remains a fundamental human right, one that millions of Africans are still deprived of. “True water security requires justice — justice in access, in allocation, and in governance. For peace cannot flow where inequality runs deep,” he remarked. The former President called for increased investment in African-led research, capacity building, and innovation to ensure sustainable water management and safeguard the continent’s future. He reiterated that water, peace, and security are not abstract concepts but actionable pillars that can shape Africa’s progress if tackled collectively. Akufo-Addo’s remarks come at a time when many African countries face worsening water scarcity due to climate change, population growth, and poor management systems. His proposed African Water Peace Initiative is seen as an effort to galvanize continental political commitment towards water diplomacy and shared prosperity. The International Conference on Water, Peace, and Security, which gathers policymakers, researchers, and civil society actors from across Africa and beyond, continues this week in Nairobi, focusing on strategies to integrate water governance into conflict prevention and sustainable development agendas
