His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has inaugurated the Water Security and WASH Access Project in Sierra Leone, a $180 million initiative funded by the World Bank. This project, under the theme “Securing Water, Enabling Dignity, and Advancing Development,” aims to achieve 90% national WASH coverage by 2035, reaching 4 million people.
In his keynote address at the launch event held at Freetown International Conference Centre, President Bio emphasized that access to safe water and sanitation is a fundamental right. “My government is guided by the belief that access to safe water and sanitation is not a favour extended to the few, but a right guaranteed to all,” he stated.
President Bio highlighted the daily challenges faced by citizens regarding water access and sanitation. He noted that no child should have to walk miles for water before school, nor should any mother risk infection during childbirth due to lack of clean water.
The program is structured in three phases with robust monitoring and transparency measures. It aims to eradicate water poverty, keep girls in school through improved sanitation, ensure health facilities are safe, protect ecosystems, and create 5,000 jobs—2,000 of which will be for women.
Plans were also announced for establishing a Water Administration House for better oversight within the sector. The project aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for All.
World Bank Country Manager Dr. Abdu Muwonge commended President Bio’s advocacy efforts that led to securing funding for this initiative. Dr. Muwonge called for an inclusive strategy involving sector institutions like GUMA Valley Water Company and SALWACO.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Dr. Sao-Kpato Hannah Max-Kyne described this as a defining moment in delivering President Bio’s development vision and called for national collaboration on implementation.
President Bio reaffirmed his commitment: “Water is not just a development commodity; it is a symbol of justice, a foundation of peace.”