Special Abidjan 2014: Launch of the 17th AfWA Congress

Three water utilities from the West Africa zone made a point of expressing their solidarity to the Cote d’Ivoire Water Supply Utility (SODECI) by sending representatives to attend the launching ceremony of the 17th Congress.

This delegation was led by the AfWA Western Africa Region Vice-President, Ouibiga Harouna, Managing Director of the Togolaise des eaux (TDE), Martin Kougnima and two representatives from the Societe des eaux de Guinée (SEG), namely the Training Manager, Amara Fofana and the Projects Manager, Abdoulmajid Camara.

On January 31st 2013, the Societe de distribution d’eau de la Cote d’Ivoire (SODECI) which is the Local Organizing Committee of the 17th African Water Association (AfWA) Congress organized the launching ceremony of the said Congress.

The Ivorian Minister in charge of Economic Infrastructures, Mr.Patrick ACHI, who chaired the launching ceremony, ensured of the support of the Ivorian government for the success of the 17th Congress.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the South African Association of Water Utilities (SAAWU), Mrs. Ntombenhle Thombeni representing AfWA President Duduzile Myeni, the 17th Congress will offer a continental platform to all the water and sanitation related sector’s stakeholders to mobilize and join their forces in order to avoid failure in their mission of supplying drinking water and sanitation services to the rich as well as the poor populations.

As for the Managing Director of SODECI, Basile EBAH, he said that preparations regarding the organization of the 17th Congress were in good progress. Besides, he called on the mobilization of all the intelligences so as to take part in the Congress in order to find solutions to the drinking water and sanitation related access issues.

The prize winner of the 17th Congress logotype contest design, Akpoué Kouadio Siméon Franck received his Prize with an amount of one million CFA francs and a participation diploma during the launching ceremony of the Congress. He first received his participation diploma from the Deputy Managing Director of SODECI in charge of Operations, Dominique DA CRUZ, then the Managing Director, Basile EBAH gave him the check.

It’s worth reminding that several graphic designers took part in this 17th Congress logotype contest design.

During the launching ceremony of the 17th Congress, the SODECI’s Abidjan Production Director, Olivier GOSSO presented the Website designed and dedicated to this continental event.

During his presentation, he showed the architecture and the main headings of this site. He also gave the Uniform Resource Locator as follows 

www.afwacongress2014.org. According to his forecasts, the Website will be on line in February.