With the rainy season fast approaching, the National Sanitation and Drainage Office (ONAD) is taking proactive measures. On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, during the government forum "All You Need to Know About…" , Ahou Konan, Director of Operations, unveiled the national strategy to protect the population and infrastructure.

A budget of 5 billion FCFA for 2026

This year, a budget of 5 billion CFA francs has been allocated to the preseason action plan. This plan is based on four main pillars:

1. Critical maintenance: Ongoing maintenance of priority drainage structures.
2. Targeted interventions: Occasional clearing of infrastructure and treatment of at-risk areas in the District of Abidjan.
3. Prevention: Awareness campaigns targeting the population.
4. Technical management: Optimization of existing networks (gutters, retention basins, dams) to ensure the smooth evacuation of water.

Huge investments, but a persistent challenge

The record of public investments shows a growing power of the State:

1. 67 billion FCFA invested between 2014 and 2025 (95% of which is for Abidjan).
2. 100 billion FCFA of ongoing projects with the support of the World Bank and the AfDB.
3. 10 billion FCFA allocated each year for the maintenance of the network.

The key figure to remember: Despite these efforts, the financing needs between now and 2030 are estimated at 1,100 billion CFA francs to fill the national infrastructure deficit.

The challenge of rapid urbanization

Mr. Konan raised a critical point: the gap between urban growth and sanitation networks. To date, only 20% of Abidjan's population is connected to a public wastewater system. In the interior of the country, the lack of structured networks forces residents to resort to individual solutions, making overall water management more complex.

ONAD's objective is clear: to maximize the hydraulic capacity of existing structures while accelerating structuring projects to limit material and human damage during heavy rainfall.