President Yoweri Museveni has appealed to African nations that rely on the Nile River to unite in safeguarding and nurturing the environment to rejuvenate the Nile’s waters.
Museveni emphasized the importance of redirecting the focus towards environmental conservation and protection, which would contribute to increasing the volume of Nile waters. This, in turn, would enable all basin countries to use the river equitably for various purposes.
Furthermore, he highlighted that this collective effort would lead to greater production and a substantial increase in the use of clean energy sources, particularly electricity. He added that this shift would benefit the Nile Basin while simultaneously reducing the use of biomass energy and preserving biodiversity in the Nile River catchment area.
The President added, “We should also explore the advantages of electricity generation, as it will help us achieve our goals of industrialization, job creation (especially for the youth), and increased exports. This will strengthen our economies, mitigate environmental challenges, and contribute to reforestation. Let’s strategically utilize the Nile waters; in Africa, we are all brothers.”
The utilization of Nile River waters has been a contentious issue between downstream and upstream countries, resulting in multiple agreements, but a unanimous consensus remains elusive.
The president’s remarks were delivered by Vice President Jessica Alupo, at the opening ceremony of the 7th Nile Basin Development Forum, held under the theme, “Deepening Nile Cooperation; Accelerating the Achievement of SDGs in a Changing Climate.”
Alupo stressed the potential for regional integration, peace, and stability, highlighting that the Nile’s waters have historically been a unifying factor, offering opportunities for collaboration that extend beyond national borders.
“With the current continental and regional frameworks, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we have a unique opportunity to harness navigation, tourism development, agricultural trade, and power integration as powerful catalysts for bringing our nations closer together. Through joint efforts in harnessing the Nile’s potential, we can create interconnected pathways that drive sustainable development and unite our aspirations for a prosperous future in this Basin,” she stated.
On his part, Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, also known as PLO Lumumba, challenged the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) to address the Nile’s challenges at the grassroots level. He called for deeper transboundary cooperation among basin countries, emphasizing the shared responsibility of using the river responsibly and considering the impacts of their projects on the Nile and its neighbors.
Sam Cheptoris, the Minister for Water and Environment, pledged Uganda’s government support to the NBI and the protection of the Nile.