The Abbay River has for centuries surged through Ethiopia’s highlands with immense power, carving deep gorges and sustaining agriculture and life. Yet, for generations, its potential remained largely untapped until the right times come. From Emperor Haile Selassie I to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, successive Ethiopian leaders have carried the dream of transforming the mighty Abbay into a source of national development and pride, culminating in the historic construction of the Abbay Hydroelectric Dam (GERD).
Emperor Haile Selassie: The early visionary
The dream of harnessing the Abbay River dates back to the imperial era. Emperor Haile Selassie, Ethiopia’s modernizing monarch, recognized the strategic and economic value of the river. During his reign, Ethiopia began preliminary studies with foreign partners, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, to explore hydroelectric potential. He envisioned building dams that would power Ethiopia’s development and reduce reliance on imported energy. Although financial and technical constraints prevented major progress during his rule, Emperor Haile Selassie I laid the foundation by internationalizing the idea and asserting Ethiopia’s sovereign right to utilize the river’s resources.
Emperor Haile Selassie did not live to see the construction of the Abbay Hydroelectric Dam on the Abbay River, but he did foresee the need for such a project. He recognized the importance of developing Ethiopia’s water resources for its growing population and economy, and he expressed a vision for utilizing the Nile’s potential. While he acknowledged the challenges, including securing funding and potential international concerns, he entrusted the future generations with the task of building the dam.
President Mengistu Hailemariam: Nationalism and sovereignty
Following the 1974 revolution, President Mengistu Hailemariam and the Derg regime inherited both the dream and the challenges. His administration, marked by Marxist- Leninist ideology and strong anti-colonial sentiments, emphasized national control over natural resources. In the 1980s, Mengistu launched studies with Soviet and Eastern bloc support to explore hydropower projects on the Abbay River. Despite the economic and political turmoil, the vision remained alive. Mengistu publicly declared that no foreign power could stop Ethiopia from using its waters, a sentiment that would echo in the decades to come.
The reality is that the Derg was in no position to tackle major projects on the Blue Nile or elsewhere, and no better placed than Haile Selassie in terms of the financial or technocratic capacity to tackle Ethiopia’s hydraulic mission. The government’s attention and financial resources throughout were focused on military confrontation, consolidating power following the revolution, repelling the Somali invasion, and then fighting a losing battle against growing insurrections in Eritrea and Tigray. Moreover, the Derg remained dependent on access to foreign expertise to realize its projects.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi: Turning vision into action
It was under the leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi that the dream finally moved from paper to practice. A firm believer in state-led development and infrastructure-led transformation, Meles saw the Abbay River as the key to electrifying and industrializing Ethiopia. In 2011, despite international controversy and without waiting for foreign financing, Meles boldly launched the construction of the Abay Hydroelectric Dam, which was first named the Millennium Dam Project and later the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa’s largest hydroelectric project financed solely by Ethiopians.
Meles declared, “This dam will not only benefit Ethiopia but also Sudan and Egypt. We are building it for mutual development, not confrontation.” His leadership and confidence in national capacity galvanized a new sense of unity and ownership, as Ethiopians from all walks of life contributed to the dam’s funding through bonds and donations.
The following speech was delivered by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi while lunching the official commencement of the Millennium Dam project/GERD.
“First and foremost, on behalf of the Ethiopian government and of myself, I must express my heartfelt pleasure for the opportunity to attend this occasion, marking the official commencement of the construction of the Millennium Hydro-electric Nile Dam. I must congratulate all those who have worked so tirelessly to make this defining moment possible.”
“The estimated cost will be 3.3 billion Euros, or 78 billion Birr. As we will be financing several other projects in our plan, the expense will be an additional and heavy burden on us. All our efforts to lighten this have been unsuccessful, leaving us with only two options. Either to abandon the project or do whatever we must to raise the required funds. I have no doubt which of these difficult choices the Ethiopian people will make. No matter how poor we are, in the Ethiopian traditions of resolve, the Ethiopian people will pay any sacrifice. I have no doubt they will, with one voice, say: Build the Dam!”
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed: Defending the dream
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inherited the dam at a critical moment when construction neared completion but regional tensions escalated. His government has stood firm in defending Ethiopia’s sovereign right to develop its resources, while also promoting regional dialogue. “No force can stop Ethiopia from completing the dam,” Abiy asserted in 2020, reiterating the determination of all Ethiopian leaders before him.
Under his leadership, the dam has reached key milestones including the first and second phases of filling, and the start of electricity generation symbolizing national resilience, technological capacity, and unity.
Recently, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced to lawmakers that the country will inaugurate the Dam in the coming September, 2025, a significant milestone for the massive hydropower project on the Nile River.
A shared legacy
In sum, the dream to build a dam on the Abbay River is more than an infrastructure project; it is a generational aspiration that spans monarchs, revolutionaries, reformers, and modern statesmen. Each leader, in their time, added a chapter to this powerful national narrative of reclaiming a natural treasure to power development, dignity, and destiny.
Today, as the Abbay Hydroelectric Dam nears completion, it stands not only as a monument of engineering but also as a testament to the dreams, courage, and resolve of Ethiopian leadership and people across decades.
From Emperor Haile Selassie to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s leaders have shared a common thread in their speeches about the Abbay River: sovereignty, dignity, and the right to development. Their words reflect a national consensus that transcends political ideologies and historical eras. The dream of harnessing the Abbay is no longer a distant hope, it is an unfolding reality driven by decades of vision, resistance, and perseverance. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam stands today not just as a marvel of engineering, but as a monument to a long-held Ethiopian promise; to rise by its own rivers.
BY TEWODROS KASSA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 3 JULY 2025
