Julius Nyerere Dam project is ‘dream that came true’: Tanzanian Minister for Energy

CAIRO – 22 December 2022: January Makamba, Tanzanian Minister for Energy, said Thursday that the Julius Nyerere Dam project is one of the largest projects that has been accomplished in Tanzania and that it meets the aspirations and hopes of Tanzanian people.

 He noted that the dam is a manifestation of cooperation between Egypt and Tanzania.

 “This dam was a dream that came true after 60 years, with the help of Egyptians” Makamba Said in televised statements.

During attending a celebration to launch the first filling of the huge dam’s reservoir, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that the establishment of Tanzania's Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) by Egyptian and Tanzanian hands reflects Egypt’s commitment to support development programs and projects in the Nile Basin countries.

Shoukry said the project is an example of the development that the African countries can achieve on the way toward enhancing constructive regional cooperation.

Cooperation between Nile Basin countries is possible and effective when the political will exists, Shoukry added.

The Egyptian foreign minister conveyed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s greetings to Tanzania’s President Samia Hassan and the Tanzanian government and people on this historic occasion.

The project effectively contributes to developing the sisterly Tanzanian state and achieving a qualitative leap in the nature of joint cooperation on the strategic level, Shoukry said.

He added that the project is practical evidence of the advanced capabilities that the Egyptian companies have enjoyed over the past years regarding the implementation of mega projects in the infrastructure field in a number of African countries.

The ambitious JNHPP has a capacity of 2,115 MW an is set to become the largest in East Africa and Africa’s fourth largest

The mega dam, whose construction began in 2019, is being carried out by the Egyptian consortium of Arab Contractors and El Sewedy Electric at a cost of $2.9 billion.

The project aims at providing Tanzania with required power and controlling the Rufiji River flood.