ADDIS ABABA – The Office of National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation on the Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) said Ethiopian media deserves acknowledgement for its role during the GERD negotiation and promoting public participation.
Media has played a huge role for the success of GERD negotiation and in mobilizing the public to support the construction.
Office Media and Communication Director, Hailu Abraham told The Ethiopian Herald that since the launching of the project in 2012, the media has played a key role in creating national consensus and promoting public participation.
“The Media has encouraged the participation of the public in the Dam’s construction. The efforts of different media outlets at home and aboard have helped the efforts towards the construction of the dam by providing timely and accurate information to Ethiopian citizens and others.”
Wide coverage of media through local and foreign languages has helped the country to withstand outside pressure during negotiations on GERD, he added.
According to Hailu, the media has been reflecting Ethiopia’s stance to the international community.
The media has also played a key role in clearing up misunderstanding among the people of lower riparian countries. “Ethiopian media continues its relentless effort to create mutual understanding among riparian countries and promote fair and equitable utilization of the Nile.”