President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has officially launched the National Water Security and WASH Access Project, a $180 million World Bank-funded initiative aimed at transforming access to clean water and sanitation across Sierra Leone. Held on Tuesday 8 July 2025 at the Freetown International Conference Centre in Aberdeen, the high-profile event marked a defining milestone in the country’s development journey under the theme: “Securing Water, Enabling Dignity and Advancing Development.”
The ambitious 10-year Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) is designed to reach at least four million Sierra Leoneans by 2035 and achieve 90% national coverage in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
In his keynote address, President Bio emphasized the critical importance of water and sanitation access as a fundamental human right and an engine of national development.
“Access to safe water and sanitation is not a privilege for the few but a right guaranteed to all,” he declared. “That is why WASH is central to our National Development Plan and integral to our Human Capital Development agenda.”
The President painted a vivid picture of the daily hardships endured by many citizens, children walking long distances for water before school, women facing unsafe childbirth conditions and communities struggling with open defecation and waterborne diseases. He pledged that the new WASH programme would decisively break that cycle of indignity.
Structured in three comprehensive phases, the initiative will be implemented with strong monitoring, transparency and incentive-based mechanisms. It also includes plans to establish a Water Administration House to consolidate oversight, strengthen regulation and improve coordination across the sector.
President Bio further noted that the initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 6; Clean Water and Sanitation for All. He affirmed that the project will create 5,000 jobs, with at least 2,000 specifically targeting women, while helping to build resilience, protect ecosystems and keep girls in school through improved sanitation facilities.
“Water is not just a development commodity,” the President said. “It is a symbol of justice, a foundation of peace and a building block of national resilience.”
He commended the leadership and staff of the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, GUMA Valley Water Company, SALWACO, EWRC and the National Water Resources Management Agency (NWRMA), calling on all stakeholders to uphold integrity and excellence in delivering the project.
World Bank Country Manager, Dr. Abdu Muwonge, applauded President Bio’s persistent advocacy for the sector, recalling the President’s direct appeal to World Bank executives in Washington two years ago, which helped secure the landmark investment.
“This project is a product of President Bio’s tireless leadership and vision,” Dr. Abdu Muwonge said. “We urge inclusive participation and strong institutional capacity to ensure sustainable delivery across the country.”
He highlighted the need to empower sector institutions such as GUMA, SALWACO and local councils, and called for community-level stewardship in the management of water resources.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr. Sao-Kpato Hannah Max-Kyne, described the launch as a “defining moment” in the Government’s development agenda. She echoed calls for broad national collaboration and the urgent need to chart a clear, focused roadmap to overcome longstanding WASH sector challenges.
The National Water Security and WASH Access Project stands as one of Sierra Leone’s most transformative public service investments in decades; promising clean water, better health, restored dignity and economic empowerment for millions of citizens.
