Ouagadougou, December 12, 2025 – As part of a benchmarking and operational capacity-building initiative, a delegation from the Mono Basin Authority (ABM) on a study trip to Burkina Faso was received on December 12, 2025, by the Executive Management of the Volta Basin Authority (VBA). The purpose of this immersion was to understand the collaboration between the ABV and the AEN (Nakanbé Water Agency) as well as the autonomous and sustainable financing mechanism currently under development.
The working session, held at the VBA headquarters, brought together fourteen experts, including eight (08) from the ABM delegation, one representative from the AEN, and five (05) from VBA.
As the saying goes, “you can’t reinvent the wheel.” With this in mind, ABM officials agreed to authorize this trip in order to gain a clear understanding of the collaborative relationship between VBA and AEN and to reap the benefits.
During this session, two major themes dominated the discussions: cooperation between VBA and the AEN, particularly in terms of information sharing, and the development of the VBA’s autonomous financing mechanism.
Regarding cooperation between VBA and AEN, VBA Executive Director Robert Y. DESSOUASSI and his Deputy, Dr. Dibi MILLOGO, explained that this mainly takes place via the VBA National Focal Point (NFP) in Burkina Faso, although at times the AEN may, in the course of its activities, contact the ABV directly. “The SFN- VBA in Burkina Faso is a group of sectoral directorates coordinated by the Directorate General of Water Resources (DGRE). The latter coordinates all VBA information and activities in the country. The same applies to all other SFNs,” said Dr. MILLOGO.
To conclude this section, Mr. DESSOUASSI emphasized that, within the framework of the Volta Basin Water Charter, the VBA works closely with the AEN in sharing information.
The second focus of these discussions was financing: the lifeblood of the organization. Faced with the challenge of financing its activities through the annual contributions of its six (06) member states to its operating budget, autonomous and sustainable financing mechanisms are being developed at the VBA level. These are the “Polluters/Payers” and “Collectors/Payers” principles, focusing on the sectors of hydroelectric power, drinking water supply, irrigation, and mining. On this point, VBA officials shared in a transparent manner the institution’s achievements, as well as the challenges and difficulties involved in implementing these mechanisms. They made a number of suggestions, including:
– intensifying awareness-raising activities among the stakeholders concerned;
– the need to lobby political authorities in order to secure their political will and commitment to effective implementation.
At the end of the discussions, the ABM delegation, represented by Mr. ADJAGBODO, Head of Research and Planning at the ABM Executive Directorate, expressed its gratitude and satisfaction with this immersion in the heart of the collaboration between VBA and the AEN, which enabled it to identify best practices for improving the institution’s strategy.
After these words of appreciation and gratitude, the Executive Director of VBA closed the meeting by thanking ABM officials for their interest in his institution and reassuring them of ABV’s support and assistance.
