The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port has expressed disappointment with the deplorable state of access roads to the port, saying it is the biggest obstacle to the port’s functionality.
The lawmakers, who made this observation during an oversight visit to Niger State, said despite the enormous potential of the Baro Inland Port to boost trade, create jobs, and open up the economy, the absence of motorable roads has left the project idle years after its commissioning.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, lamented that a trip of half an hour now stretches into four gruelling hours because of the failed portions of the road.
“The state of the roads is a major hindrance to the full operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port. What should be a 30-minute journey now takes over four hours. This is unacceptable for a facility of this magnitude, which is supposed to serve as a hub for trade and industrial growth,” Abdullahi said.
He warned that without good roads, cargo cannot be evacuated from the port, nor can surrounding communities benefit from its presence.
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), represented by the General Manager of Business Development, Mr. Bolawale Adetola, said the port, commissioned in 2019, has remained underutilised since then.
He explained that the key challenges are the dilapidated access roads and a silted channel that requires dredging.
Meanwhile, traditional rulers in Niger state have also called on the federal government to revive the Baro Inland Port to restore the region’s lost commercial vibrancy and boost the national economy.
Meanwhile, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, and the Emir of Agaie, Alhaji Yusuf Nuhu, have called on the federal government to revive the Baro Port to restore the region’s lost commercial vibrancy.
The Etsu Nupe, who chairs the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, said Baro once thrived as a hub for rail and water transport, linking the North to other parts of the country.
“Most of us here witnessed when the port was alive. It boosted the economy of this area and the entire country. Goods and people travelled by train from Baro to Kano, Kaduna, and Gusau. Back then, rail and water transport made life easier,” he said, pledging the support and prayers of his people for the project’s revival.
On his part, the Emir of Agaie recalled Baro’s historic role in the 1950s and 1960s as a bustling centre for the export of groundnuts, cotton, and other produce. He described the port as a project of both national and international importance, capable of attracting foreign partners if revived.
“Baro was once the seaport of northern Nigeria. Vessels berthed there for months, creating jobs for youths and boosting trade. Companies like John Holt and UTC even had their bases there, and the relics remain to this day,” he said.
Hon. Saidu Abdullahi assured that the committee would compile its findings and present strong recommendations to the House of Representatives and the executive, with emphasis on the urgent rehabilitation of access roads and dredging works.
“We are committed to ensuring that this port does not remain a white elephant project. Government agencies responsible for roads, inland waterways, and transport must rise to the challenge.
“We cannot afford to abandon such a strategic project,” he said, stressing that the port was designed for international trade and must be revived with that vision in mind.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
