Francis Ndem

On the 2026 Day of the African Child, West and Central Africa has an opportunity to turn ambition into action. Safe water keeps children healthy, supports learning, and protects dignity. Together, we can make this right a reality for every child. #DAC2026 +++++++++++++++++++++++ For children, safe water is not an abstract concept. It is the foundation of health, learning, protection, and dignity. It enables children to thrive, attend school, and realize their full potential. This right must be experienced in their daily lives - especially in schools, in health facilities, and across their communities. This year’s theme, “Ensuring universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene for every child in Africa,” is both a call to action and a reminder of our collective responsibility. It aligns directly with Africa’s Agenda 2063 vision and the continent’s ambition to ensure that sustainable water and sanitation become realities for every child and every family. Across West and Central Africa, we know that when safe water is absent, children bear the greatest burden—through disease, interrupted learning, heightened risks for girls and women, and lost opportunities to thrive. Yet we also know that progress is possible when governments, communities, and partners act together with urgency, innovation, and purpose. As momentum builds toward the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, following the important Dakar High-Level Preparatory Meeting earlier this year, let us continue to place children’s rights at the centre of every policy, partnership, and investment in water and sanitation. Thank you for your unwavering commitment. Together, we can turn the right to safe water from aspiration into lived reality for every child. Happy Day of the African Child.