Remarks by the NBD Board Chairperson at the 20th Regional Nile Day Commemoration, Juba, Republic of South Sudan, 22 February 2026

• Your Excellency,
• Honourable Nile-COM Chair,
• Honourable NEL-COM Chair,
• Honourable Ministers and members of Nile-COM present,
• Honourable members of the Nile Technical Advisory Committees,
• Distinguished senior representatives of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan,
• Executive Director of the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat,
• Senior Advisor to the NBI Executive Director,
• Acting Executive Director for ENTRO,
• Regional Coordinator for NELSAP-CU,
• Members of the diplomatic corps,
• Development Partners,
• Staff of the NBI Centres,
• Members of Civil Society,
• Members of Media,
• Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
• All protocols observed.

It is both an honour and a profound privilege to stand before you today as we commemorate the 20th Regional Nile Day, here in Juba, at the heart of the White Nile. We gather not only to celebrate a shared river, but to reaffirm a shared destiny — one rooted in cooperation, mutual respect, and collective responsibility.

Allow me first to express my sincere appreciation to the Government and people of the Republic of South Sudan for hosting this important milestone and for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to me and my team. South Sudan’s central position in the basin and stewardship of the Sudd wetlands remind us of both the opportunities and responsibilities we share in managing this great river.

Today marks 27 years since the establishment of the Nile Basin Initiative — a bold and visionary step taken in 1999 to transform the Nile from a potential source of conflict into a driver of cooperation, peace, and shared prosperity.

Nile Day is therefore more than a celebration. It is a moment of reflection — on how far we have come — and a moment of recommitment to where we must go together.

The theme for this year, “Voices of the Nile: Community, Youth and Women Engagement in Water Governance,” reminds us that sustainable water governance cannot be achieved without the voices of those who live along the river, depend on its waters, and safeguard its future.

The Nile Basin Discourse stands here today as the collective voice of over 600 civil society organizations across the basin. For more than two decades, NBD has worked tirelessly to ensure that communities — especially women, youth, and marginalized groups — are not only beneficiaries of Nile cooperation, but active participants in shaping it.

We are proud to serve as a bridge between citizens and decision-makers. Through our grassroots networks in the 10 Nile Basin countries, we have amplified community voices into national and regional platforms, ensuring policies and investments are informed by real experiences on the ground.

We firmly believe that sustainable decisions are those that are inclusive and informed by ground realities. Over the years, NBD has contributed through:

• Evidence-based advocacy and citizen engagement shaping policy and transboundary project design.
• Providing community perspectives and social insights for decision-making.
• Supporting early warning systems through community mobilization and adaptation strategies.
• Supporting water quality investment prioritization across pollution hotspots.
• Promoting transboundary cooperation and peacebuilding through dialogue and trust-building.

The strength of Nile cooperation lies in partnerships. The partnership between NBD and the Nile Basin Initiative is both unique and exemplary. Guided by a Memorandum of Understanding renewed since 2014, and with a new five-year MoU covering 2026–2030, NBD remains fully committed to this collaboration.

NBD is currently implementing the Nile Civil Society for Climate Resilience Project, supporting citizen-led data generation. Through citizen science, communities in pilot basins are generating localized data to:

• Inform national and regional planning,
• Complement scientific systems,
• Strengthen early warning mechanisms, and
• Support inclusive decision-making.

As we look ahead, the challenges facing the Nile Basin — climate change, population growth, and competing demands — require stronger collaboration than ever before. Governments, institutions, civil society, private sector, and communities must work together to sustain life, livelihoods, and peace.

Allow me to reaffirm, on behalf of the Nile Basin Discourse:

• Our unwavering commitment to support the Nile Basin Initiative.
• Our dedication to strengthening inclusive water governance.
• Our resolve to amplify the voices of communities, youth, and women.
• Our readiness to contribute to climate-resilient and equitable development.

The Nile is not just a river. It is our heritage, our lifeline, and our shared future.
Let us continue to listen to the voices of our people. Let us continue to strengthen our partnerships. Let us continue to build a future where cooperation flows as freely as the waters of the Nile.

We remain: One Nile – One Family!

I thank you.