In a significant stride towards elevating water and sanitation standards across Uganda and Sub-Saharan Africa, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have created a partnership, after the two entities recently signed a Record of Discussions for the ‘Project for Capacity Enhancement of Water and Sanitation Regional Training Hub,’ foreshadowing a new era of collaboration aimed at transforming the water and sanitation sector.
The signing ceremony featured insightful inspiring addresses by Mr. INOUE Yoichi, JICA’s Chief Representative, and Eng. Johnson Amayo, NWSC’s Deputy Managing Director of Technical Services.
JICA’s longstanding support for Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment has already catalyzed significant progress in providing safe, clean water and improved sanitation. However, the formidable challenge of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6; Universal access to safely managed water and sanitation by 2030, remains. This new initiative seeks to tackle this challenge head-on by enhancing the technical capacities of water professionals in Uganda and beyond.
Over the next 36 months, NWSC will spearhead the initiative from Kampala, focusing on several critical areas including; Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment for water utilities training in Africa, developing and implementing a regional capacity-building strategy and business plan, upgrading training programs for domestic staff, and improving the training information management system. Additionally, NWSC will organize key events for water utilities and training providers across Africa, including the third Executive Forum for Enhancing Sustainability of Urban Water Services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
NWSC’s commitment to training and development has been one of the pillars for its success since the 1990s. The Gaba Vocational Skills Development Facility, an NWSC training center, has been instrumental in this regard, offering practical vocational and technical courses that have significantly contributed to operational improvements and revenue growth, with the latest cohort graduating in May 2024.
Notably, NWSC’s collaboration with JICA aligns seamlessly with the agency’s strategy of fostering the growth of water utilities through mutual learning and cooperation. By reinforcing NWSC’s training infrastructure, the project will enhance the capacity of water and sanitation professionals across Africa, contributing not only to SDG 6 but also to SDG 17, which emphasizes partnerships for achieving the goals.
The signing of the Record of Discussions was witnessed by a host of NWSC dignitaries, including; Corporate Secretary-Ms. Edith Kateete, Director of Water Quality-Dr. Irene Nansubuga, Director of PR-Sam Apedel, Senior Manager of Training and Capacity Development-Joyce Bakire, Manager of External Services-Zainab Mpakiraba, and Manager of PR-Sheba Bamwine, alongside JICA representatives.
This partnership is a blueprint for progress.
