Gov’t renews commitment to ensure every Ghanaian enjoys safe, affordable, sustainable water and sanitation services – Gilbert Adjei

Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources (MWHWR), Mr. Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has announced that the government, through his outfit, is resolved to ensure every Ghanaian enjoys safe, affordable, and sustainable water and sanitation services.

Delivering the keynote address, at the opening ceremony of the 36th edition of Ghana’s flagship Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) dialogue platform, the Mole Conference Series, officially opened yesterday, Monday, 3, November, 2025, at the Marlin Beach Resort in Gomoa-Fetteh, Central Region, the Works and Housing Minister reiterated his government’s renewed national commitment to building a harmonized, innovative, and evidence-driven WASH sector.

According to him, data from the 2025 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme indicates that 90% of Ghanaians now have basic access to safe water — up from 81% in 2015 — while access to basic sanitation has risen from 21% to 32% over the same period.

“These achievements mark progress, not perfection. The persistent disparities remain in rural and peri-urban areas, and climate change continues to test our resilience. We must innovate, regulate, and reform,” the Minister mentioned.

Mr. Adjei outlined six strategic pillars put together by his government to anchor sector transformation — universal access, institutional reform, innovation, sustainable financing, climate resilience, and partnership grounded in evidence — urging the conference to deliver actionable outcomes that link policy to practice.

“The Mole 36 Conference should mark a new era of purpose, partnership, and progress,” he emphasized.

Held under the theme “Advancing Innovation, Partnerships and Evidence for a Harmonized and Regulated WASH Sector in Ghana,” this year’s Mole Conference brings together key stakeholders — including policymakers, traditional and religious leaders, civil society, academia, private sector players, and development partners — to evaluate Ghana’s progress and design sustainable pathways toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation for All) by 2030.

The Mole Conference series, which represents not just an annual tradition, but a vital platform where policy, practice, innovation, and accountability converge to shape the future of Ghana’s WASH sector is organized by CONIWAS and supported by WaterAid Ghana, World Vision Ghana, Plan International Ghana, UNICEF, the World Bank, and, the Ministry of Local Government Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), and Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources (MWHWR), among others.

The annual Mole WASH Conference is a CSO-led multi-stakeholder platform aimed at reviewing sector performance, influencing policies, removing barriers, and promoting access to sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene services.

By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH