Mega dam fuelling dreams and disputes

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, Ethiopia, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Ethiopia inaugurated on Tuesday Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dam, a colossal feat of engineering that could power homes and industries across East Africa, while deepening a years-long dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the Nile’s flow. Photographer: Amanuel Sileshi/Bloomberg

ETHIOPIA officially inaugurated Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam, a project that will provide energy to millions while deepening a rift with downstream Egypt that has unsettled the region.

Ethiopia, the continent’s second most populous nation with over 120 million people, sees the US$5bil Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on a tributary of the Nile as central to its economic ambitions.