As Nile Basin countries gather for the extraordinary Nile Council of Ministers’ meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has called for deeper cooperation to ensure equitable and sustainable use of the Nile waters for regional prosperity.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy, Habtamu Itefa, emphasized that collaboration among riparian nations is not just an option but a necessity for achieving fair utilization of shared water resources. He highlighted the significance of the meeting as a platform to address key technical and institutional matters under the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI).

“This extraordinary meeting is an opportunity for us to deliberate on the technical and institutional issues of the Nile Basin Initiative.

As people of sharing one river and vision, achievements have been made over the years,” Habtamu said, reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to cooperation on the Abay (Nile) River.

A major point of discussion was the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which the minister described as a symbol of regional collaboration rather than contention. Built entirely by Ethiopians, the dam is intended solely for power generation, contributing to energy security in the region.

“We believe GERD serves as an example for other African nations to develop their resources independently,” he stated.

Florence Grace Adongo, Executive Director of the Nile Basin Initiative, acknowledged the progress made in implementing the organization’s 10-year strategy, underscoring the importance of sustained commitment from member states.

The meeting took place ahead of the 19th Nile Day celebrations, which will be held under the theme “Strengthening Nile Cooperation for Resilience and Shared Prosperity.”