On 9 April 2026, the first Blue Community Africa Conference was held online, with 30 Blue Communities and representatives from all over the continent registered.
The first-ever Blue Community Africa conference was held virtually, bringing together coordinators and representatives from across the continent to discuss the growth and activities of blue communities in Africa. The meeting covered presentations from the regional Blue Community coordinators, Umo Isaua-Ikoh from Nigeria for English-speaking West and Central Africa, Souleymane Guindo from Mali for French-speaking West and Central Africa, and Sir Charles Chitechi from Kenya for Eastern Africa, who shared updates on their respective regions’ Blue Communities, their activities and challenges.
Blue Community Africa Coordinator Reverend Kolade Fadahunsi welcomed the conference and provided an overview of Blue Community Africa’s achievements, including growth from three initial communities to 34 communities across the African continent, and outlined key challenges such as ongoing attempts for water privatization. He stressed the need for better coordination and funding mechanisms to strengthen the Blue Community Africa.
Participants discussed the importance of expanding membership, particularly institutions like universities, and emphasized the need for physical meetings to strengthen collaboration. The conference concluded with calls for continued discussion in the WhatsApp coordination group and plans for future meetings to advance the network’s goals.
Download the presentation from the Blue Community Africa Conference (PDF)
