Africa: GERD Offers Blueprint for Africa's Self-Reliance, Says Hailemariam

What the report says

Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn argued that Ethiopia’s financing and construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam offer a model for African self-reliance, according to a report published by the Ethiopian News Agency and distributed by AllAfrica. He made the remarks at the Africa Mindset Reset Forum in Kigali, where he said African countries should rely more on their own resources, institutions, human capital and policy choices rather than depend mainly on outside models or funding.

In the report, Hailemariam pointed to Ethiopia’s development experience as an example of how domestic mobilization can support large national projects. He highlighted the expansion of agricultural extension services and efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity, along with broader policies aimed at gathering domestic resources for development. But he placed particular emphasis on GERD, saying the project showed what can happen when a country builds support around a strategic goal after conventional international financing was not available.

The article says Ethiopians contributed through bond purchases and other domestic financing channels, turning the dam into a symbol of collective ownership and national determination. Hailemariam said the wider lesson for Africa is to shift from seeing the continent mainly as a recipient of aid to recognizing its ability to generate solutions and set priorities.

More broadly, the piece frames GERD as part of a larger debate over how African states can fund infrastructure, build stronger economies and reduce exposure to external shocks. This is a political and development debate rather than a report of a new policy decision or project milestone.