House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of Baro Inland Port, has decried the quality of work done at the facility.
Reps. member, Idris Wase (APC-Plateau) expressed the displeasure of the lawmakers at a courtesy visit on Governor Umaru Bago, of Niger state, after an overnight visit to Baro Inland Port in the state.
Wase said that the port project was only “commissioned on paper” by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 in spite of the huge investments. “What we saw is a project that was merely commissioned on paper. It is unfortunate what has happened in the past, but as leaders we must take responsibility to change the narrative”, he revealed.
The lawmaker described the port as a “gateway to Nigeria’s economy, saying that the neglect of the facility represented a wider national problem of infrastructure deficit. He assured that the committee is determined to revive the port, and to ensure its completion for equitable distribution of infrastructure across the country.
Idris said the committee will work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and other relevant stakeholders to address outstanding challenges, including dredging and navigation corridors needed to make the port operational.
The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Sa’idu Abdullahi (APC-Niger) expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of roads leading to the multi-billion-naira project, describing it as a major impediment to the port’s functionality.
The lawmaker said that in spite of the enormous potential of the port to boost trade, create jobs, and open up the economy, the absence of motorable access roads has left the facility largely idle years after its commissioning.
He said that a trip that should ordinarily take half an hour now stretches into four gruelling hours because of the failed portions of the road.
The General Manager of Business Development at the National Inland Waterways Authority, (NIWA), expressed optimism that the port will soon become operational, provided critical challenges such as access roads and dredging are addressed.
He said the involvement of the National Assembly would help mobilise the needed funds, either through direct appropriation or private partnerships, to make the port fully functional.
Responding, the Governor called for the urgent revival of the port, describing it as a national project that held the key to easing the heavy burden on Nigeria’s road infrastructure.
Bago said that the Inland Port, conceived by Nigeria’s founding fathers, was once central to the Northern Africa Trade Corridor. According to him, it was strategically linked to the Lagos–Kano–Jibia rail line, which was originally designed to service Baro.
“Since I became governor, we have been working towards the realisation of the Baro Port project. This is not a Niger project; and not even a northern project. It is a Nigerian project”, he emphasised.
He commended the committee for undertaking the oversight visit during recess, describing their commitment as evidence of a renewed determination to reposition Nigeria.
