A quarter of a century at the service of transboundary cooperation between 10 Member States united around a river and a common destiny to alleviate poverty and build peace.
Created on February 22, 1999, the NBI is the result of a common desire to pool the efforts and benefits offered by the Nile basin to the 300 million people living around the river.
This celebration of 25 years of the Nile Basin Initiative is a unique moment to look back on the achievements of transboundary cooperation between Member States looking in the same direction to “achieve sustainable socio-economic development through the equitable use and benefit of the common water resources of the Nile Basin”. This vision that forms the basis of cooperation around the Nile.
The theme “Unlocking the benefits of Nile Transboundary cooperation” is equally evocative of the benefits of Nile cooperation, as it allows us to review the progress made so far. Indeed, since 1999, the Nile Basin Initiative has achieved satisfactory results in the fields of water, energy and food security while maintaining a sustainable ecosystem and efficient cross-border cooperation.
One of the most significant achievements is undoubtedly the construction of the Rusumo dam between Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania, reinforcing the shared vision between the destinies of these states.
The 25th anniversary launch ceremony, held at the Nile Secretariat in Entebbe was presided over by the Honorable Sam Cheptoris, Minister of Water and Environment of the Republic of Uganda and Nile-COM Chair. In his remarks, the Nile-COM chair emphasized the need to reflect upon the benefits from, and challenges of Nile cooperation journey, to pursue mutual cooperation and ensure peace and economic growth, despite the increasing population in the basin.
The governing bodies of the Nile Basin (Nile-TAC, NELTAC, NILE-COM) deliberate on issues of Nile cooperation by holding formal meetings in the run-up to Nile Day, scheduled for February 22, 2024 in Bujumbura, Republic of Burundi, where the silver jubilee of the institution will be celebrated.
