Voices of the Nile: South Sudan Hosts Landmark 20th Celebration of Nile Day 2026
A marathon, a march and a high-level main event with an exhibition marked the historic 20th regional commemoration of Nile Day, which the Republic of South Sudan hosted in its capital, Juba on Sunday 22 February 2026.
It was the first time South Sudan – which joined the Nile Basin Initiative on 5 July 2012 – hosted the regional Nile Day celebration. The 2026 theme, “Voices of the Nile: Community, Youth and Women Engagement in Water Governance”, set the tone for a day that placed inclusion and cooperation at the centre of its message.
Marathon for cooperation
The celebrations began at dawn on 21 February at Buluk Playground, where roughly 200 runners gathered in numbered bibs and neon vests. The Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation and Chairperson of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Council of Ministers, Hon. James Mawich Makuach, flagged off the marathon alongside the Executive Director of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), Dr. Eng. Nestor Niyonzima, the Mayor of Juba City, Mr Christopher Serafino Wani, and the Under Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mr Lam Tungwar.
Participants from NBI, the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) and across South Sudan ran past the University of Juba (established in 1975), then up through the Immigration office, Equity Bank, Juba, and the Modoriya roundabout until the Ministry of Petroleum, then back to Buluk. The run covered a distance of 9.94km, demonstrating unity in motion.
Calling the day “wonderful and important”, Hon. Mawich Makuach told participants:
“We belong to the Nile, and we must show that we are taking ownership of the Nile. I congratulate all the people of South Sudan for hosting this historical celebration of Nile Day.”
At the finish line, Dr. Eng. Nestor Niyonzima described the marathon as a milestone in bringing people together while promoting health and environmental stewardship.
“Without good health, you cannot protect your environment,” he said.
A march of flags and culture
On 22 February, a brass band led a march from the South Sudan Revenue Authority along Jundoru Road. Approximately 200 participants, many of them students, walked more than one and a half kilometres on a flat plain until the Bank of South Sudan headquarters where the main event had been set up. They waved the flags of the 10 member states of the NBI: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
As the march concluded, several activities were taking place across the expansive, dainty lawn of the central bank of South Sudan. Women of the Bari community, dressed in flowing cultural attire, swang to a welcome song they sang, their voices rising in the dry, mid-morning heat. Elsewhere, women and youths danced in more traditional attire.
High-level commitment to cooperation
The Vice President and Chairperson of the Service Cluster, H.E. Josephine Lagu Yanga was guest of honour at the main event. Arriving in the mid-morning, she was initially ushered into a side room where she held a closed-door meeting. From there she emerged to a standing ovation in a decorated, air-conditioned hall with lights and a delicately curved ceiling. The hall was full of invited guests, including Government ministers, Water affairs ministers of the Nile Basin and staff of NBI and the NBD.
Against a large LED screen, the Vice President settled in a seat alongside the Chairperson of the Nile Council of Ministers and Minister for Environment, Agriculture and Livestock in Burundi, H.E. Calinie Mbarushimana, the Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Mr. Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister Hon. James Mawich Makuach and the NBI Executive Director, Dr. Eng. Nestor Niyonzima.
Women and Youth at the Centre of Water Governance
The Vice President said the theme of Nile Day 2026 was overdue.
She emphasized the need to safeguard the River’s long-term ecological health, unlock regional development and strengthen climate resilience through robust institutional frameworks.
“South Sudan is committed to the principle and spirit of the Nile Basin Initiative, and supports the establishment of the Nile River Basin Commission,” she stated.
Hon. Mawich Makuach highlighted tangible benefits South Sudan has realised through NBI, including modern regional hydrological monitoring equipment and a data management system, the Sudd Wetlands Management Strategy 2022–2050, the transformational South Sudan–Uganda Power Interconnection Project and training opportunities for young professionals.
He urged non-ratifying countries to accede to the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), describing it as a flexible instrument that will enable the ten riparian states to advance an inclusive agenda together.
“The Republic of South Sudan re-affirms its commitment to paying its subscription fees due to NBI as part of our regional obligations,” the Minister said.
H.E. Calinie Mbarushimana reminded participants that since its establishment in 1999, NBI has prepared a portfolio of US$6.5 billion in transboundary projects. She noted growing alignment around common basin planning frameworks and jointly prepared investments basin-wide, reflecting increasing trust and collaboration among member states.
Words from Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda
All members of the Nile Council of Ministers, or their designated representatives, affirmed the relevance of the 2026 theme and the vital role of NBI. H.E. Prof. Dr. Hani Sewilam, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, emphasised the importance of the ongoing consultative process on the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), as well as the need for consensus and inclusiveness in NBI processes. H.E. Dr Eng. Habtamu Itefa, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy, underscored the importance of equitable utilisation of the Nile and of the CFA. Hon. Eng. Matthew Kundo, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister for Water, urged member states to increase investment in the water sector in line with the African Union’s Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy, and to honour their country contributions to NBI.
Dr. Eng. Nestor Niyonzima argued, “In the face of water scarcity, climate extremes, pollution, underdeveloped irrigation, rising energy demands and ecosystem degradation, there is only one solution: cooperation. Nile cooperation is the only path to sustainable and peaceful management of our shared River.”
He pointed to concrete basin-wide achievements, including the 80-megawatt Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project supplying electricity to Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania, the South Sudan–Uganda Power Interconnection Project, the young professionals programme and early warning packages that NBI disseminates regularly basin-wide to strengthen preparedness as climate extremes increase basin-wide.
The Executive Director congratulated Mr Kevin Iyaka, a former participant in the young professionals programme at NBI Secretariat, who won the youth hackathon during the Secretariat’s pre-Nile Day series of webinars aligned with the Nile Day theme.
“As we commemorate Nile Day 2026, let us recommit to putting women, youth and communities at the heart of water governance,” the Executive Director said.
Look out for more on 20th Nile Day commemoration in the next edition of “Nile News”, the NBI Secretariat newsletter.