NUST Showcases Namibia’s Urban Water Innovation at Prestigious African Symposium
From Namibia to West Africa, NUST leads with research that matters
The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) recently participated in the Second Annual Research and Innovation Management (RIM) Symposium held from 28 to 30 July 2025 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Organised under the theme “From Research to Impact: Driving Africa’s Sustainability through Research Policy Innovation Synergies”, the Symposium brought together over 200 delegates from 17 African countries, representing national Science Granting Councils, universities, civil society organisations, development partners, and multilateral institutions.
NUST’s flagship Innovate4Water project was selected as one of the continent’s leading innovations in the Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture and Environment stream. Represented by Prof Fungai Bhunu Shava, Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Informatics and Principal Investigator of the project, NUST’s presentation received attention for its bold, systems-based approach to addressing urban water security in arid regions such as northern Namibia.
“Water loss is not just a technical issue. It is a governance issue. Our innovative impact model integrates smart IoT-based metering, community trust building, and infrastructure repurposing to create a sustainable blueprint for municipalities under water stress,” said Prof Bhunu Shava during her presentation.
The Innovate4Water project is being implemented in partnership with NAMWater, and is supported by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) and the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), under the Science Granting Councils Initiative. The model has already seen the installation of 69 IoT-enabled pulse readers in Ongwediva’s Extension 11, with a bulk smart meter underway. But its impact reaches far beyond the deployment of hardware.
The project is pioneering a locally relevant governance reform model that uses artificial intelligence to generate real-time analytics, supports evidence-based decision-making, and builds public trust in water systems. The integration of data dashboards, community engagement, and accountability mechanisms is offering a replicable solution to water loss in resource-constrained local authority and urban environments.
NUST’s participation in the RIM Symposium amplified Namibia’s innovation capacity and affirmed the university’s growing role as a hub for applied water-energy-food nexus research that advances national and continental priorities. More than 30 innovation projects were showcased at the symposium, including energy-efficient building materials, smart agriculture technologies, and mobile health applications, with each project aligned to Africa’s broader development agenda.
The event also marked a critical juncture in the rollout of the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2034). NUST’s contribution aligned strongly with the strategy’s emphasis on resilience, data-driven decision-making, and inclusive development.
As the RIM project nears completion, the call for translating research into action has never been clearer. For NUST, this means continuing to bridge the gap between academia, policy, industry, and community needs through practical, impactful innovation.
