Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Great Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) will generate an amount of US$1 billion (about E17.3 billion) per year for Ethiopia.
This was said by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini on Friday, September 12, 2025, upon his return from Ethiopia, where he was part of the second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Dlamini said the dam would generate US$1 billion per year from generating hydroelectricity for Ethiopia. The dam is 200km long, which means its length can cover a distance from Mbabane to Big Bend.
The prime minister also mentioned that Ethiopia has been able to implement this project without relying on external funding. This is in line with the resolution that was taken by African countries during the ACS2, where the countries stated that they did not want to rely on charity to address the problems that came with climate change.
He also said he was impressed by Ethiopia for having the courage of constructing the dam without relying on external funding. According to the premier, Ethiopia is an example to Africa and Eswatini, in particular, where everyone could learn that it could be possible for countries to implement projects without relying on foreign funding.
Dlamini said he was inspired by what was done by Ethiopia. He mentioned that this reminded him of mega projects that Eswatini had set for itself, saying such were identified as one of the pillars of economic development for the country, as they had been directed by His Majesty King Mswati III to find ways to improve the country.
The GERD was constructed in 2011 along the Blue Nile in the north-western part of Ethiopia, just before its borderline shared with Sudan. The Blue Nile, which originated within Ethiopia, is one of the tributaries forming the great Nile River.
The other tributary of Nile River is the White Nile, which starts from Uganda. The two tributaries meet in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, with the River Nile continuing to pass through Sudan and Egypt, into the Mediterranean Sea.
The construction of the GERD has caused diplomatic tensions between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt, with the latter countries complaining of no longer having enough water access in the Nile River. The African Union (AU) has committed to facilitate dialogue between the affected parties in this matter.
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