The House of Representatives has expressed its displeasure that the Baro Inland Port project was only “commissioned on paper” by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, despite substantial investments.
Former Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase made this statement when the House Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of Baro Inland Port, led by Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, paid a courtesy visit to the Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, at the Government House as part of its oversight inspection of the port.
Wase, speaking on behalf of the Committee during the visit, said the committee’s findings had revealed the true state of the port.
“What we observed is a project that was merely commissioned on paper. It is unfortunate what has occurred in the past, but as leaders, we must take responsibility to change the narrative,” he said.
The lawmaker described Baro Port as a “gateway to Nigeria’s economy” and recalled its historic significance, having been established by colonial authorities and reinforced by visionary leaders such as the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
He noted that the neglect of the facility represented a broader national issue of infrastructure deficit.
He assured that the committee, backed by the Speaker of the House, was determined to revive the project and ensure its completion, emphasising that equitable distribution of infrastructure across the country was a constitutional duty.
“Once we ensure fairness in infrastructure development, no one will care where the president comes from. What matters is that every region benefits,” he stated.
Wase also commended Governor Bago for his commitment to agriculture and infrastructure, describing him as a leader with the courage and vision to support the project.
He indicated that the Committee would collaborate with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and other relevant stakeholders to address outstanding challenges, including dredging and navigation corridors needed to make the port operational.
He emphasised that reviving the port was not only for Niger State but for the entire country, adding that its success would alleviate pressure on roads, boost trade, and create jobs.
Governor Bago, in his response, reiterated the urgent need for the revival of the Baro Inland Port, describing it as a national project that holds the key to alleviating the heavy burden on Nigeria’s road infrastructure.
He noted that the inland port, conceived by Nigeria’s founding fathers and once central to the Northern Africa Trade Corridor, 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 just a Niger State project, nor even a northern project. It is a Nigerian project,” he asserted.
According to him, the revival of Baro Port alongside Nigeria’s railway network would lessen road congestion and promote more sustainable cargo movement.
Meanwhile, the committee expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of access roads to the multi-billion-naira facility, describing it as the single biggest obstacle to the port’s functionality.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, lamented that a journey that should ordinarily take half an hour now stretches into four exhausting hours because of the deteriorated sections of the road. He stressed that unless urgent attention is given to road infrastructure, other efforts to revive the port would be in vain.
“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.
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), represented by the General Manager of Business Development, Bolawale Adetola, stated that 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.
“Everything that a port needs to function is in place. The key challenges are the access road and the silted channel. Once these are addressed, Baro Port will be of immense benefit to Nigerians,” Adetola said, stressing the need for stronger inter-agency collaboration and infrastructure support.
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.
The Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, and the Emir of Agaie, Alhaji Yusuf Nuhu, made the appeal when the ad-hoc committee paid them courtesy visits during the oversight tour.
The Etsu Nupe, who chairs the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, stated that Baro once thrived as a hub for rail and water transport, linking the North to other parts of the country. He lamented the collapse of those systems, which has left Nigerians overly reliant on roads.
“Most of us here witnessed when the port was thriving. 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 remnants remain to this day,” he remarked.
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.
