ECOWAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES CONSTRUCTION OF AUTONOMOUS WATER POINTS (AWPS) IN THE GAMBIA AND SIERRA LEONE

Busura (The Gambia) – Ginger Hall, Freetown Suburb (Sierra Leone), July 14, 2026 – Within five days, the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Water Resources Management Centre (WRMC), officially launched the construction works of solar-powered Autonomous Water Points (AWPs) in two Member States: on Friday, July 10, 2026 in Busura, about fifty kilometers from Banjul, The Gambia, and on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Ginger Hall, a suburb of Freetown, Sierra Leone. These ceremonies are part of the Special Project “Improving Access to Safe Drinking Water for Vulnerable Populations in ECOWAS Member States.” In Sierra Leone, the launch followed the official handover of sites to contractors on June 16, 2026.

The ceremonies were attended by senior ECOWAS officials and government representatives of both beneficiary countries. In The Gambia, the event was graced by H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission, alongside the Commissioner for Internal Services and the Minister of Fisheries, Water Resources, and Parliamentary Affairs. In Sierra Leone, the President of the Commission was represented by his Chief of Staff, joined by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation. ECOWAS Resident Representatives, Heads of National Offices, the WRMC Director, local authorities, and beneficiary communities also participated.

Highlights included speeches by the ECOWAS Commission President and the Ministers responsible for water resources, as well as the laying of the foundation stones in Busura and Ginger Hall, marking the effective start of construction and the formal handover of sites to the executing companies.

Despite progress in recent years, access to safe drinking water remains a major challenge in rural areas of the ECOWAS region, where tens of millions of people still lack quality water services. To address this, the Special “Water” Project, launched in July 2024, foresees the construction of solar-powered AWPs across all Member States.

These successive launches demonstrate the growing momentum of the project. Sierra Leone is part of the first phase, currently underway in six countries (Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone), where at least fifteen localities per Member State will benefit. The Busura launch marks the beginning of the second phase, covering Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, and Togo. A third phase is being prepared with Benin and Senegal.

Ultimately, more than 200 solar-powered AWPs will be built, benefiting over one million inhabitants, with strong involvement of women in managing the facilities. The project will help end the

burden of water collection for women and girls, reduce waterborne diseases, promote girls’ education, and stimulate income-generating activities in rural areas.

Beyond the start of construction, these ceremonies aimed to inform and engage local communities on the project’s objectives, components, and expected results, fostering ownership by beneficiaries. They reflect ECOWAS’s commitment to delivering concrete and sustainable solutions to essential needs, in line with its vision of a “Community of Peoples.”

The Water Resources Management Centre (WRMC) is the specialized agency of the ECOWAS Commission responsible for promoting integrated water resources management (IWRM) within the community space. It oversees the implementation of the Special “Water” Project, financed directly by ECOWAS.

ECOWAS encourages its technical and financial partners to support the implementation of this high-impact project for vulnerable communities in West Africa.