The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project has been dubbed "backbone of private sector investment."
The remark came from the Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa (PhD) during a high-level ministerial panel discussion at the end of the second day of the AU AIP Africa Water Investment Summit 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Minister Habtamu, who gave an explanation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project, which is scheduled to be inaugurated in September 2025, was asked to share his experience in financing the construction of the GERD.
In his response, the minister said that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project, which was initiated during the previous governments and failed to obtain budget support and loans from international financial institutions, has been forced to wait for the current generation to do the work.
The dam is a project of pride and energy source in Africa, built mainly with the government's capacity and the direct participation of the dear Ethiopian diaspora members at home and abroad, he underscored. The Minister added that the dam will have a capacity to generate 5,150 megawatts (5.15 gigawatts) when it is fully operational, and that it is a major pillar of economic transformation, beyond being a source of energy, where private sector investors have directly participated in the construction of the dam.
The GERD, when completed, will bring a huge investment opportunity, mainly in the private sector, the Minister said, emphasizing that water and energy supply are the backbone of the Sustainable Development Goals and serve as an intermediary for other goals. On the other hand, he added that Ethiopia is playing a leading role in creating a regional energy infrastructure.
Following the Minister’s explanation, the Ministers of Water and Senior Government Officials of various countries present at the conference requested to hold bilateral discussions with the Minister. Among these, the Minister of Water and Agriculture of Zimbabwe is among the countries that requested to directly share their experiences.
Ethiopia is providing clean energy to Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, Tanzania, etc., among the countries in the Horn of Africa and agreements are in the process of being signed with other countries.
