Madar (Nouakchott) - The Idini project to supply Nouakchott with water was completed about two months ahead of its contractual deadline, while the capital's sanitation project is only 14% complete after half of its timeline has elapsed, according to what was presented during Prime Minister El Moctar Ould Djay's visit on Sunday, October 18, 2026, as reported by Sahara Medias.
The Idini project, costing 65 million euros (about 35 billion ouguiya), was due to take 24 months from the laying of its foundation stone on December 3, 2024, with works ending on December 3, 2026.
It included drilling 20 new wells at Idini, rehabilitating 20 to 30 existing wells, laying about 60 km of large pipelines between Idini and Lakhsar, building a 5,000-6,000 cubic metre reservoir and a dedicated power line to keep pumping continuous.
According to the same source, water reaching Nouakchott from Idini previously did not exceed 45,000 cubic metres a day and now exceeds 100,000.
The sanitation project, by contrast, is only 14% complete with 50% of its 45-month contractual timeline elapsed, and is expected to be finished at the end of 2028 or early 2029.
The prime minister attributed the delay to the time needed to set up the design office and technical arrangements, as well as difficult soil, high groundwater and Nouakchott's complex urban fabric, saying the authorities are working to make up for the delay.
Ould Djay ended a two-day tour on Sunday, at the end of which he said the country's debt is going through "its best period".
