African Development Bank (AfDB) has invested over $8 billion in water infrastructure across 40 African countries since 2000, benefiting more than 92 million people.

Director, Water Development and Sanitation Department, AfDB, Mr Johannes Chirwa, said this at the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) West Africa sub-regional meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

Chirwa was represented at the occasion by Emily Kilongi, AfDB Principal Water and Sanitation Engineer.

He said the meeting was an essential opportunity to review progress, overcome challenges, and develop future strategies for water management in Africa.

“Since 2000, the AfDB has invested over $8 billion in water infrastructure across 40 African countries, benefiting over 92 million people,” he said.

Chirwa revealed AfDB’s ongoing efforts in policy dialogue through platforms such as African Water Week and AfricaSan.

“Looking ahead, the Bank is actively involved in developing a post-2025 Africa Water Vision, contributing expertise to ensure a comprehensive and impactful strategy,” he said.

He reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to strengthening water governance through initiatives such as the Pan-African Water Sector Monitoring and Reporting System (WASSMO).

He also said the forthcoming Africa Water Vision and Policy, alongside the bank’s 2026-2030 Action Plan would play a key role in addressing emerging challenges.

Dr Jihane El Gaouzi, a representative of African Union Commission (AUC), said the impact of the Africa Water Vision 2025 in raising awareness of water and sanitation challenges was enormous.

“Africa still faces significant challenges in achieving equitable and sustainable water management.

“This is in spite progress from initiatives like the UN Water Conference 2023 and the Africa Water Investment Programme.

“The AUC is gathering stakeholder input for the post-2025 Africa Water Vision, focusing on poverty reduction, economic growth, regional cooperation, and environmental sustainability,” she said.

El Gaouzi outlined key upcoming events, to include the Africa Water Summit in August 2025 in South Africa and the UN Water Conference in 2026 to be co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal.

They aim to advance Africa’s water security agenda.

She said that water and sanitation have been designated as the AU’s official theme for 2026 under Agenda 2063.

She said: `The 5th Specialised Technical Committee and the 44th Executive Council of the AU urge the AUC to develop a climate-resilient, inclusive water security framework’.

El Gaouzi said Africa needed a continental governance framework to ensure sustainable and equitable water access and reaffirmed that access to water is a fundamental right.

She urged stronger collaboration among governments, the private sector, and regional organisations and reaffirmed AUC’s commitment to Africa’s post-2025 water vision through strategic planning and policy-driven investment.

Founded in 2002 AMCOW promotes cooperation, security, economic development, and poverty eradication through effective water resource management and supply services.

In 2008, at the 11th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) Assembly in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Heads of State and Government of the AU committed themselves to accelerating the achievement of water and sanitation goals in Africa.

AMCOW was mandated to develop and follow up an implementation strategy for these commitments. (NAN)

By Abubakar Yunusa

The President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Barrister Samuel Agbeluyi, has emphasised the need for Nigeria’s tax system to evolve in line with the digital economy.

Speaking at the maiden ICT Summit on Taxation in Abuja on Monday, he called for a transition to smart, technology-driven frameworks to enhance revenue generation, curb leakages, and promote voluntary tax compliance.

The event, themed “Building Smart Tax Infrastructures for Economic Growth,” was organised in collaboration with the CISCO UNITE Academy.

Agbeluyi noted that technological advancements and shifting economic paradigms were redefining tax administration, making digital transformation imperative.

“When we speak of ‘Smart Tax Infrastructures,’ we refer to an integrated system where automation, data analytics, and digital platforms simplify tax collection, improve compliance, and enhance transparency while strengthening governance,” he said.

The CITN president stressed the importance of aligning tax administration with the ongoing reforms spearheaded by the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.

“Our role as practitioners is to interpret these reforms and align our practices to support their strategic objectives. The CITN remains committed to ensuring that our members stay at the forefront of these changes,” he added.

Delivering the keynote address, Professor Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice, former Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), underscored the transformative potential of digital tools in taxation.

He highlighted the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and Big Data Analytics in enhancing tax collection efficiency and combating fraud.

“E-filing systems, real-time transaction monitoring, and AI-driven audits can help governments close revenue leaks while simplifying compliance for businesses and individuals,” Boroffice explained.

He also called for the simplification of tax codes and harmonisation of tax rates to attract foreign direct investment and foster business confidence.

Dr Catherine Ndubisi, Chairperson of the ICT Committee, stressed that Nigeria must keep pace with global trends in tax digitalisation.

She warned that the increasing complexity of financial transactions, the rise of e-commerce, and the expansion of digital assets demanded an urgent shift from traditional tax structures.

“ICT is a game-changer—empowering us to automate processes, strengthen enforcement, combat tax evasion, and broaden the tax base in ways never seen before,” she said

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has described food insecurity as a huge national challenge which must be addressed by al tiers of government.

This is just as the Speaker urged the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to deploy legislative instruments to tackle hunger and malnutrition across the country.

The Speaker stated this on Tuesday while addressing the House Committee on Food Security and Malnutrition as well as the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security in his office in Abuja.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Krishi quoted Mr Abbas as saying, “Nigeria’s problem is largely, in a way, food insecurity and whatever we can do as parliamentarians to ease the burden on the people when it comes to hunger and malnutrition, we will be doing a very great service to this country. I urge you to please maintain the tempo. Ensure that you continue to increase the level of your activities until we get to that Promised Land.”

Abbas said it is gratifying to hear that an initiative of the House, “Which came on board for the first time in the history of the parliament,” is really making such kind of impact.

He added that “The committee is no longer a baby of the House of Representatives; it has become the baby of Nigeria as a whole, embraced by all the 36 Speakers (of the State Houses of Assembly) who are also making efforts to see that they can take this to all the local government areas.

“I think this is one of the few things that we created in the 10th House that will forever linger in my mind for being very useful to the country. I can attribute that success and the benefits to the chairman of the committee whose passion and commitment are driving this process.”

Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Chinedu Okafor stated that the conversations around food security “Cannot start and end in Abuja,” stressing that his committee has taken the campaign against food insecurity and malnutrition to the sub-national levels.

Okafor recalled his meeting with the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly and Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, which led to organisation of a retreat in Owerri, Imo State, where it was resolved that committees on food security and nutrition be set up at the state parliaments and federal laws be domesticated at the state level.

Okafor also recalled that chairmen and clerks of the newly created committees had a conference in Abuja, which birthed the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security.

He further hinted that the network is billed to meet with the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday on the subject matter of food insecurity.