Addis Ababa (Dawan Africa) – Tears rolled down the face of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as he stood before the nation. Behind those tears lies one of Africa’s most ambitious infrastructure projects — the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially inaugurated the Abbay Dam on Tuesday, marking the completion of Africa’s largest hydroelectric project. The launch followed a pre-inauguration ceremony on Monday night, during which Abiy was seen in tears on live television. The emotional images sparked debate: for some Ethiopians, his reaction reflected years of national sacrifice; for others, it appeared as political theater aimed at uniting a divided nation.
Construction of the GERD began in 2011. Unlike many mega-infrastructure projects, it was not financed through international loans. Instead, Ethiopians themselves funded the dam, with civil servants contributing part of their salaries and ordinary citizens purchasing “dam bonds.”
The GERD is located on the Abbay (Blue Nile) in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, approximately 30 kilometers from the Sudanese border. The dam stretches 1,800 meters in length and rises 170 meters high. Once fully operational, it will generate 5,150 megawatts of electricity — enough to double Ethiopia’s current power output.
The dam is expected to transform the country’s energy landscape, providing electricity to more than 65 million Ethiopians who currently lack access, while also enabling power exports to neighbors including Sudan, Kenya, and Djibouti.
Partial electricity generation began in February 2022. The project has cost over $4 billion to date, employing tens of thousands of Ethiopian workers and international contractors throughout more than a decade of construction.
The GERD has been a source of regional tension. Egypt fears the dam could reduce its share of Nile waters, on which it depends for 90% of its freshwater. Sudan has raised concerns about uncoordinated water releases that could threaten its dams and water safety.
Ethiopia, however, maintains that the GERD is a legitimate development project and asserts it will not cause “significant harm” downstream. Negotiations mediated by the African Union between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt have yet to produce a binding agreement.
For Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the GERD represents more than an engineering achievement; it is a defining political legacy. While construction began before he assumed office, he will be remembered as the leader who oversaw its completion. His tears on Monday night, whether interpreted as genuine or symbolic, underscored the enormous significance of a project that has reshaped Ethiopia’s economy, politics, and regional influence.
