ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government has announced that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has reached 97.6 percent completion.

Marking the dam's near-completion, the government has launched a fundraising campaign, urging financial institutions and the public to step up their support to the project, according to a statement issued Saturday by the Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy.

Aregawi Berhe, director general of the GERD project public participation coordination office, emphasized during a resource mobilization event that the GERD, Africa's largest hydroelectric dam, has achieved significant progress. He called for intensified fundraising efforts and greater citizen involvement to ensure the project's timely and smooth completion.

Ethiopia's State Minister of Water and Energy Sultan Wali praised the "unwavering support" of Ethiopians at home and abroad throughout the dam's construction. He stressed the importance of sustaining this support as the project nears its final stages.

Financed entirely through domestic resources, the GERD is seen as a symbol of Ethiopia's renaissance. Since its construction began in 2011, Ethiopians have supported the project through various means, including bond sales, athletic events, and lottery draws.

Located in the northwestern Benishangul-Gumuz region on the Blue Nile River, the GERD was initially designed to generate 6,500 megawatts of electricity, later revised to 5,150 megawatts.

However, the project has been a point of contention among Nile Basin countries. While Ethiopia views the dam as essential to its development goals and middle-income aspirations, Egypt and Sudan have voiced concerns about its potential impact on their water shares. Enditem

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