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The Inauguration of the GERD: A Historic Statement by the Ethiopian Prime Minister
By: Charilogone Editorial Team ✍️The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a symbol of Ethiopia’s energy development, is about to enter a new era. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed marked this milestone with several powerful statements, emphasizing both national pride and a commitment to regional cooperation.
During a parliamentary session held on July 3, 2025, Abiy Ahmed announced that the GERD is now fully completed and that its official inauguration will take place in September 2025. He declared:
“The GERD is the result of the Ethiopian people's perseverance. It is not intended to harm our neighbors, but to strengthen our ability to provide clean energy to the region.”
This statement is part of a series of public remarks the Prime Minister has made since the beginning of the project:
On September 10, 2023, via the social network X (formerly Twitter), he celebrated the success of the dam’s fourth filling, stating that “Ethiopia overcame internal and external pressures to carry out this historic project.”
On March 20, 2025, speaking before Parliament, he had already announced that the inauguration would take place within six months, while calling for constructive dialogue with Egypt and Sudan.
Through these declarations, Abiy Ahmed seeks to position the GERD not only as a driver of Ethiopia’s development, but also as a tool for regional cooperation. He insists that the dam is not a source of conflict, but a shared opportunity for the Nile Basin countries.
In a poignant Facebook post on August 25, 2025, the Prime Minister expressed the human and symbolic dimension of the project through a striking metaphor:
“A drop of blood. A drop of sweat. A drop of tear. A drop of water. This dam will be a living symbol and will testify for generations that it is a complete achievement.”
Launched in 2011, the GERD has become a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s energy sovereignty and a symbol of national resilience. The inauguration scheduled for September 2025 will mark the culmination of a construction effort that has spanned more than a decade.
Toward Pan-African Energy Cooperation
The GERD will not serve Ethiopian interests alone. It is set to become a catalyst for energy cooperation between Ethiopia and several African states seeking to accelerate their growth. Based on the win-win partnership principle that Ethiopian authorities aim to promote, this dam could benefit all of North Africa, the Horn of Africa, East Africa, and beyond.
This infrastructure presents a unique opportunity for African countries to generate wealth, stimulate development through access to reliable energy, and combat persistent challenges such as poverty, youth unemployment, and mass migration to Europe. For the first time, a project of this scale in Africa could become a continental lever for socio-economic transformation.
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