Eng. Solomon Nigatu Abegaze

Professional Summary

Eng. Solomon Nigatu Abegaze is a senior Ethiopian civil, dam, irrigation and water infrastructure engineer with more than three decades of professional experience across major African infrastructure projects. His career spans dam and irrigation engineering, hydraulic infrastructure, construction supervision, design review, project coordination, construction project management and FIDIC contract administration. He has served in senior roles including Assistant Resident Engineer, Resident Engineer, Acting Resident Engineer, Senior Resident Engineer and Team Leader, Project Coordinator, Design Engineer, Department Head and Head of Construction Supervision and Contract Administration. His project portfolio includes major World Bank and African Development Bank-financed assignments in Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda and Ethiopia. He combines deep field engineering experience with contract administration, claims and variation management, quality assurance, payment certification, multidisciplinary team leadership and client-contractor coordination. His career reflects a sustained commitment to delivering complex dam, irrigation, water supply and hydraulic infrastructure projects that support agricultural development, water security and resilient infrastructure across Africa.

Key Expertise

Major Projects and Contributions

• Shire Valley Irrigation Project – Secondary Canals and Remaining Works, Malawi
  Serves as Assistant Resident Engineer with SMEC An SJ Company on the World Bank-financed Shire Valley Irrigation Project. The assignment includes design review and construction supervision for major irrigation infrastructure serving the Phase I area, including approximately 52 km of secondary irrigation pipelines, two pump stations, 21 night storage reservoirs, flood protection works, access roads and SCADA-related infrastructure. Responsibilities include FIDIC 2017 Red Book contract administration, construction supervision, work programme review, progress monitoring, payment certification, claims review, technical coordination and leadership of the site supervision team.
• Kabuyanda Earth Dam and Irrigation Pipe Network System Project, Uganda
  Served as Resident Engineer on the World Bank-financed Kabuyanda Earth Dam and Irrigation Pipe Network System Project. Led construction supervision, FIDIC 2017 contract administration, review of contractor submissions, quality control, laboratory and site testing coordination, work programme assessment, payment certification, claims and variation review, progress reporting and coordination among the client, consultant, contractor and technical teams.
• Dadinkowa Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project, Nigeria
  Served as Senior Resident Engineer and Team Leader for the Dadinkowa Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project. Provided senior leadership for construction supervision, contract administration, design and technical review, quality management, contractor performance monitoring, payment certification, claims and variation assessment, stakeholder coordination, progress reporting and management of multidisciplinary supervision personnel.
• Megech Seraba Pump Irrigation and Drainage Project, Ethiopia
  Served in senior resident engineering roles on the World Bank-financed Megech Seraba Pump Irrigation and Drainage Project. The project developed approximately 4,000 hectares of irrigated farmland and included a high-capacity pump station, major canal networks, hydraulic structures, bridges and night storage reservoirs. Responsibilities included construction supervision, FIDIC contract management, quality control, team leadership, programme monitoring, payment certification, claims analysis, tender documentation and coordination of technical and contractual matters.
• Rwamagana Dam and Irrigation Project, Rwanda
  Served as Resident Engineer for the World Bank-financed Rwamagana Dam and Irrigation Project with SMEC International. Managed construction supervision, contract administration, contractor submissions, site and laboratory quality control, supervision team leadership, progress monitoring, payment certification, work programme review, claims and variation management and coordination among clients, consultants, contractors and stakeholders.
• Koga Irrigation and Watershed Management Project, Ethiopia
  Contributed to the African Development Bank-financed Koga Irrigation and Watershed Management Project as Supervision Engineer and Design Engineer. The major infrastructure program included an approximately 83 million cubic metre earth dam, a 4,000-hectare irrigation area, main, secondary, tertiary and quaternary canal networks, drainage infrastructure and night storage reservoirs. Responsibilities included hydraulic design, canal and drainage layout, construction supervision, contract administration, claim analysis, tender documentation, setting-out data preparation, access road design and supervision of dam concrete and earthworks.
• TMGO Water Supply Project, Ethiopia
  Served as Project Coordinator and Design Engineer for the TMGO Water Supply Project under a FIDIC Design and Build arrangement. Led design and coordination of spring development works, water collection systems, pipeline networks, a 650 cubic metre reinforced concrete reservoir, masonry reservoirs and associated facilities. Responsibilities included design, project planning, scheduling, progress monitoring, client correspondence and technical coordination.
• Sand Storage and Groundwater Dam Water Supply Projects, Ethiopia
  Worked as Design and Supervision Engineer on water supply schemes involving sand storage dams and groundwater-related water supply infrastructure. Responsibilities included engineering design, construction supervision, tender document preparation and bid evaluation, contributing to practical water supply development in Ethiopia.