African Development Bank approves €119 million loan to Benin for rural drinking water supply
On Thursday, December 19, the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a loan of €118.63 million to Benin to support the Drinking Water Supply for Resilience in Rural Areas Programme. This project aims to provide clean drinking water to an additional 965,000 people across the West African country.
The loan consists of €75.63 million from the African Development Bank and €43 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), a joint-financing initiative between the African Development Bank and the People’s Bank of China.
Robert Masumbuko, AfDB’s Country Manager in Benin, commented, “This project is the Bank’s second intervention in the drinking water sector in rural Benin, following the successful completion of the first project in 2012. It confirms the Bank Group’s commitment to supporting Benin’s government in achieving universal access to drinking water for rural populations.”
The project will involve the construction of 130 high flow-rate boreholes and pumping stations, capable of delivering a total of 3,100 cubic metres of water per hour. Additionally, it will include the building of 1,440 drinking water fountains, 40 water towers with a combined capacity of 14,650 cubic metres, and the installation of 2,200 kilometers of network infrastructure and 2,000 kilometers of pipes, which will connect 20,000 households.
In addition to the infrastructure work, the project will also support reforms in the water sector, create drinking water consumer associations, and provide capacity-building for key stakeholders, benefiting rural communities in 10 out of 11 departments in Benin.
This funding highlights the African Development Bank’s ongoing support for rural development and its role in helping to achieve universal access to clean water in Africa.
