Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Sunday that 70 percent of the Megik Dam project has been completed. In a tweet, Abiy Ahmed indicated that the Megik Dam project will be finished within the next five months to utilize its water for drinking and irrigation development.
The Megik Dam, located near the city of Gondar, is one of the irrigation projects under construction in the country, supported by a government budget allocation of 6 billion birr. The dam, which has taken seven years to build, is expected to be completed by the end of the current budget year, benefiting over 30,000 farmers, as well as facilitating the development of 4,000 hectares of land.
In May, the Ethiopian Prime Minister stated that the country would build more than 100 small and medium-sized dams in various regional areas in the upcoming fiscal year. According to the official news agency, Abiy mentioned during the inauguration of a highway that building dams is "the only way to resist any opposing forces against Ethiopia."
He noted that more than 100 small and medium-sized dams are planned for construction in different areas by the next Ethiopian budget year, emphasizing that these projects will play an effective role in agricultural production, which could increase up to three times a year to ensure food security.
Abiy did not specify the locations of the proposed dams or the rivers on which they will be built, although there are nine major rivers in the country. He added that "to achieve the declared plan, Ethiopians from all segments of society must come together to realize such critical ambitions and other development programs," stressing that unity is of utmost importance.
