(Ecofin Agency) - The government of Burkina Faso announced it will dedicate a total of $144 million, or about 84.7 billion CFA Francs, for its water and sanitation sector over the period 2020 to 2022. The announcement was made this week by the water minister, Niouga Ambroise Ouédraogo (pictured), during the 2020-22 ministerial budget presentation.

According to him, about 19.2 billion CFA Francs ($32.5 million) will be disbursed in 2020, 28.7 billion CFA Francs (about $48.7 million) in 2021 and 36.8 billion CFA Francs ($62.5 million) in 2022. Niouga says many challenges need to be overcome to ensure access to water and sanitation facilities for all citizens, and thus called for the support of MPs so that his 2020-2022 investment plan would be approved, if not revised upwards.

In order to sustainably meet the populations’ needs for quality drinking water, the Burkinabe authorities set up the National Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Program (PN-AEPA) 2016-2030. Valued at 1,461 billion CFA Francs (about $2.5 billion), the three-phase PN-AEPA aims to increase the clean water access rate from 65% in 2015 to 100% in 2030. And also, increase the share of rural population served by standpipes from 8.7% in 2015 to 24% in 2030. The program also wants to increase the share of rural population served by private connections from 0.3% in 2015 to 56% in 2030; and finally, to reduce the share of rural population served by modern water points from 91% in 2015 to 20% in 2030.