By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Country Director of Safe Water Network, Mr. Charles Nimako, has called on stakeholders in the water sector to explore innovative and cutting-edge solutions as part of efforts to scale up safe water enterprises to deliver improved and sustainable water services, especially in rural and peri-urban areas in the country.
According to him, scaling up safe water enterprises is the surest way of complementing the government’s efforts in ensuring Ghanaians have equitable and clean access to water by 2030, in fulfillment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6.
Achieving this goal, according to the Country Director of Safe Water Network, will require an urgent investment and other funding resources.
Speaking at the 2024 edition of the ‘Beyond the Pipe Forum’ organized by Safe Water Network and its partners in Accra, Mr. Nimako stressed the importance of scaling up small water enterprises as a way of supplementing the government’s efforts towards achieving sustainable access to water.
The Country Director of Safe Water Network explained that his outfit’s efforts over the past few years have led to a significant improvement in the market for safe water enterprises, disclosing that over $ 20 million have collectively been invested in the water sector, and have since been delivering safe, reliable and affordable water services to over 2 million people across all 16 regions in Ghana.
On his part, the Deputy Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Mr. Amidu Issahaku Chinnia addressing the gathering highlighted the need for non-state water service providers to collaborate with the government to provide access to safe and potable water, especially in small towns and rural communities.
Mr. Issahaku Chinnia applauded Safe Water Network, for years of investment in extending water services in peri-urban areas and small towns, and advocacy for improved and sustainable water services in Ghana.
“Safe Water Network has particularly focused on Ghana’s water sector drawing attention to critical policy issues as well as implementing interventions together with its partners to provide water solutions to many communities.” The Deputy Minister added.
The Forum which was under the theme “Safe Water: The Power of Enterprises” brought together nearly 200 leaders from the public and private sectors as well as development partners to dialogue on how to grow safe water enterprises to deliver water services for an estimated 3.2 million people in over 1,000 peri-urban communities and small towns in Ghana by 2030.
Safe Water Network is an international non-profit organization that leverages best practices, tools, and expertise across hundreds of communities to improve the performance of community-based safe water solutions with public, private, and NGO partners. The organization has so far implemented community-based water solutions in over 40 districts in 10 regions of Ghana, benefiting 150 communities with over 500,000 people across these communities being served with safe and reliable water through cutting-edge solutions and innovations.
