Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declaring the $4.8 billion project a symbol of national self-reliance and a turning point for Africa’s second most populous country.

The hydroelectric dam on the Abay (Blue Nile) River, Africa’s largest, has a reservoir capacity of 74 billion cubic metres and is expected to generate more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity. Officials say it will extend power to millions of Ethiopians and create export opportunities for neighbouring states.

Abiy said the reservoir had been named “Nigat” or “Dawn Lake,” symbolising Ethiopia’s awakening from “a deep sleep of poverty and darkness.”

“This lake has brought with it a wealth greater than Ethiopia’s GDP. The era of begging has ended,” he told crowds at the ceremony in Guba, comparing the inauguration to Ethiopia’s 1896 victory over Italian forces at Adwa.

Regional leaders attending the ceremony described the GERD as a collective milestone for Africa.

Kenyan President William Ruto said the continent “can shape its own destiny. This is a Pan-African statement. The path to peace lies in unity, not isolation.”

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir called the project “a symbol of unity, sacrifice, and determination,” adding that it would bring strength and prosperity to the region.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud urged cooperation, saying: “Share resources, share brotherhood.”

Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh hailed the inauguration as “a day of great victory.”

The GERD has been under construction since 2011 and was financed largely through domestic means after Ethiopia was unable to secure international funding due to geopolitical disputes.

For 14 years, millions of Ethiopians – from farmers and daily labourers to students and civil servants – purchased bonds and made donations to support the project. Authorities say this public drive, alongside state financing, made the dam’s completion possible.

The GERD has long stirred tensions with downstream nations Egypt and Sudan, which fear reduced Nile water flows. Ethiopia insists the project will not cause significant harm and frames it as vital to its development.