Addis Ababa, August 25, 2026 (FMC) — The Megech Irrigation Development Project in Central Gondar Zone of Ethiopia’s Amhara region, near the giant Lake Tana, has reached 94 percent completion, marking a major turnaround for a project that remained stalled for years and was once considered virtually defunct, according to the Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands.
The project is now advancing rapidly, with the remaining works expected to be completed within the coming few months, according to Ashenafi Likasa, Head of the Irrigation Projects Office at the Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands.
The latest progress represents a significant acceleration following intensified government oversight and intervention over the past two years. The project had remained inactive for years due to a range of challenges, including the limited capacity of its former contractor.
Ashenafi said the project was effectively revived following a direct government decision to replace the underperforming contractor, enabling construction to resume and advance toward completion.
The development forms part of a broader government effort to reassess long-delayed projects, address implementation bottlenecks and ensure major development investments are completed to the required standards and placed into productive service.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has previously taken a direct interest in the project’s progress. In November 2025, he visited the project in Gondar and reviewed its construction and technical performance. At the time, the project had reached a key milestone with the successful diversion of the Megech River, allowing construction to advance toward completion of the dam.
The current phase has seen substantial progress across the project’s core infrastructure. Construction of the irrigation water-control structure and associated electromechanical works has been completed, while remaining finishing works are being carried out at an accelerated pace.
The project currently holds about 33 million cubic meters of water, while its completed irrigation outlets have begun releasing approximately 5 million cubic meters of water per day, according to the ministry official.
Parallel work is also underway on the clean drinking-water supply component, including the laying of water transmission lines. Electromechanical works on the water tower are also nearing completion.
Once fully completed, the Megech Irrigation Development Project is expected to provide irrigation capacity for approximately 17,000 hectares of agricultural land, significantly expanding the productive use of water resources in the surrounding area.
The project is also expected to contribute to addressing Gondar city’s clean drinking-water needs, adding an important urban water-supply dimension to its agricultural and irrigation functions.
The project’s revival follows more than a decade of delays and interruptions. The latest assessment indicates that only about 6 percent of the work remains, with completion and commencement of full service expected within the coming few months.
The 94-percent completion figure marks a major transition for the long-delayed project, bringing its irrigation and water-supply benefits increasingly within reach for communities and agricultural production in the area.