By Shine Esi Kwawukumey
Accra, May 25, GNA – Youth participation, grassroots education and community action are critical to solving Africa’s growing sanitation and water management crisis, stakeholders at the 2026 African Academic Heritage Fair have said.
The programme, organised by the Association of African Universities on the theme, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” brought together academics, researchers, students and policy experts from across Africa.
Participants at the high-level dialogue stressed that governments alone could not solve the continent’s sanitation problems without active citizen involvement.
Miss Rachel, a participant from a university delegation, said communities must take responsibility for protecting the environment.
“The burden lies in all of us. When we go back home, we have to tell the people around us the effects of these practices,” she said.
A participant from Great Zimbabwe University called for locally grounded and heritage-based solutions to sanitation challenges in rural communities.
“We encourage students to think towards locally grounded solutions that can benefit vulnerable communities in practical ways,” the participant said.
Mr Divine Edem Kwadzodeh, Secretary-General of the All-Africa Students Union, urged young Africans to become more informed and active in environmental advocacy.
“You cannot advocate from a position of ignorance,” he said, and encouraged students to research climate and sanitation issues more deeply.
Professor Eugene Okyere-Kwakye of Koforidua Technical University called for the integration of water and sanitation education in university curricula across disciplines.
“There is no reason why a geography student should know about water and sanitation while others do not,” he said.
Stakeholders also highlighted the role of behaviour change, proper waste disposal and maintenance of public infrastructure in addressing sanitation challenges.
The discussions ended with participants agreeing that Africa’s water future would depend on the actions citizens, institutions and governments take today.
GNA
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong