Former Heads of State, Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, have called for the speedy completion of work on the Baro Inland Port in Niger state for it to become fully operational.
The former military leaders made the call when the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port separately paid courtesy visits on them while on oversight tour of the facility in Minna.
Addressing the lawmakers, Babangida said the Baro project is something he has long prayed for and championed across different administrations.
“I want to thank you very much for the opportunity to visit me here. It couldn’t have come at a better time because it’s something that we have been praying for many years,” he said.
Babangida recalled that he advocated for the project during the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and expressed hope that the current push would be the final one needed to get it completed.
He pledged continued advocacy, stating that, “I will continue to support you and I will continue also to put pressure on all of you, pressure on the president, pressure on everybody who has a hand to do with this project until, where you slacken a little bit, we will whip you a little bit.”
On his part, Abubakar suggested that the port be elevated to the status of an internationally recognised inland waterway to secure its long-term viability.
“Once it is made an international waterway, no future government or political interest will be able to tamper with it. Baro Port, for time immemorial, has played a very significant role in bringing goods to the North. We must restore it to that position,” he said.
Abubakar noted that successive administrations, from the era of Generals Babangida and Abacha to his own, had recognised the strategic importance of the port.
He recalled making funds available for its revival during his tenure but lamented that the project had suffered neglect despite repeated commissioning ceremonies.
Outlining a four-point plan to make the facility operational, he called for the dredging of the River Niger to Baro and securing international recognition for it; the resuscitation of the rail line linking the port to the North; the construction of a proper, motorable access road; and the designation of the port as an inland free zone to attract investment.
He also urged the committee to consider the development of other inland ports, such as Lokoja, for coordinated trade and economic growth, pledging his full backing for their work. “For God’s sake, make sure that any allocation for Baro is utilised. This port is very critical to us,” he noted.
Chairman of the House committee, Hon. Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger) said the visit was to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the port, the rail corridor, and the access roads, with a view to addressing challenges and exploring opportunities to make the facility operational.
He explained that the delegation which includes representatives of the Federal Ministries of Transport and Works as well as the Nigerian Railway Corporation, would also meet with traditional rulers and the Niger State governor before returning to Abuja to present their findings.
The Baro Inland Port, commissioned in 2019 amid high expectations, was envisioned as a major logistics hub for Nigeria’s inland waterways and rail network. Billions of naira have been invested in the project, but it remains non-operational, a situation the committee is determined to resolve.
