TORONTO: Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha, the managing director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), has called for utilities to embrace a co-creation and tailor-made innovation approach to tackle water challenges.
He warned against relying on imported solutions that may not address local needs.
Speaking at the UK pavilion during a side event at the IWA conference in Toronto, Canada, Dr. Mugisha, who was honored for his outstanding contributions to the global water sector, cautioned against the uncritical adoption of foreign technologies.
He advocated for collaborative technology development to tackle local issues, such as meter inefficiencies.
He pointed out that solutions effective in other contexts, like the UK, might not work in Uganda.
However, he emphasized that partnerships can facilitate the sharing of solutions to common challenges.
Dr. Mugisha highlighted that the co-creation approach addresses infrastructure gaps and underscores the significance of local expertise, flexibility, and collaboration.
“This approach recognizes the importance of local expertise and knowledge in developing effective solutions,” he stated.
He also stressed the need for collaboration and flexibility to achieve NWSC’s objectives, noting, “We don’t lack money, but we need partners who are willing to work with us to develop solutions that meet our needs.”
He urged governments to fulfill their financial obligations, emphasizing the importance of efficiency and benchmarking to reduce non-revenue water (NRW) for effective gains.
Dr. Mugisha also emphasized the importance of empowering young staff, who are future leaders, and fostering a shared vision and continuity in the water sector.
He advocated for partnering with flexible financiers and leveraging money markets to support local operations.
Discussing the pros and cons of privatization, Dr. Mugisha highlighted the need for utilities to have a clear purpose and shared vision.
He also addressed opportunities for youth mentorship through the Young Water Professionals (YWP) program and encouraged knowledge exchange programs to promote learning.
Since becoming Managing Director of NWSC in 2013, Dr. Mugisha has shifted the organization’s focus from profits to service delivery.
Under his leadership, NWSC has significantly improved service delivery, expanding coverage to over 270 towns, serving 18 million people, and increasing customer connections to 874,129.
Dr. Mugisha attributes NWSC’s success to strategic clarity, strong government support, robust corporate governance, dedicated leadership, and a public interest mindset.
His goals include expanding services to 300 towns, serving 25 million people, and achieving an annual turnover of Shs 650 billion by 2026.
Key achievements under Dr. Mugisha’s leadership include expanding coverage from 23 to 268 towns, increasing customer connections from 296,206 to 874,129, growing annual turnover from Shs 155 billion to Shs 519 billion, and boosting assets under management from Shs 650 billion to Shs 4,100 billion.
