A woman pumps water from a borehole in Nebbi, West Nile (Photo: JEEP)
At dawn in Kisenyi - one of Kampala’s informal settlements, Amina turns the tap beside her home and smiles. Five years ago, she queued for hours at a distant borehole. Today, clean water flows because her community partnered with Kampala City authorities, a local NGO that promotes access to clean and safe water, and a local water company that monitors leaks using simple sensors. It’s a small victory, but it hints at a bigger truth: Africa can turn the tide on the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 when people lead, and institutions align.
Under the theme: 'Turning the tide: Transformative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063', the 12th session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-12) will take place on the 28th - 30th April 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Across the continent, progress accelerates when action is coordinated around lived realities. Clean water and sanitation are not abstract targets; they are about dignity, health, and time—especially for women and girls. In northern Ghana, community-managed water schemes work because they blend public finance with local stewardship. Water user committees collect modest fees, reinvest in maintenance, and hold service providers accountable. The lesson is clear: scale what works by anchoring solutions in communities while strengthening utilities and regulators.
Energy tells a similar story. In rural Malawi, Peter runs a welding shop powered by a solar mini-grid. Reliable electricity turned a subsistence livelihood into a small enterprise, creating jobs and skills. Affordable, clean energy unlocks industry, innovation, and infrastructure when policies de-risk private investment and support local entrepreneurs. Standardised mini-grid regulations, local manufacturing of components, and patient capital can turn Africa’s abundant sun and wind into inclusive growth.
Cities are where these strands converge. In Nairobi and Accra, youth-led start-ups are converting organic waste into biogas and compost, easing pressure on landfills while powering households. Sustainable cities and communities emerge when urban planning integrates transport, housing, waste, and energy—and when informal settlements are part of the plan, not an afterthought. Data from communities, not just satellites, helps cities invest where impact is highest.
Innovation thrives when universities, artisans, and industry collaborate. In Senegal, a makerspace partners with a technical institute to prototype low-cost water meters and energy-efficient stoves. Government procurement provides the first customer, accelerating adoption. This is how Africa builds competitive industries—by backing homegrown solutions with smart policy and predictable demand.
None of this happens in isolation. Global partnerships matter, but they must be equitable. Blended finance that aligns development banks, philanthropies, and local lenders can crowd in capital for water systems, grids, and transport. South–South cooperation speeds learning, while diaspora networks bring skills and markets. Crucially, partnerships should strengthen local institutions and share risk, not export it.
Turning the tide demands coordination: national plans that align budgets with SDGs and Agenda 2063; cities that collaborate with communities; utilities that partner with innovators; and citizens who hold leaders to account. It also requires courage—to reform subsidies, standardise regulations, and invest for the long term.
As the sun sets in Kisenyi, Amina fills her jerrycan in minutes and heads home. Her story is not unique—and that is the point. When Africa centres people, coordinates action, and partners with purpose, the future promised by 2030 and 2063 becomes not a deadline, but a lived reality.