Two former Nigerian leaders, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, have called for urgent and decisive action to bring the long-neglected Baro Inland Port in Niger State into full operation.
They pledged their personal backing to see the decades-old project finally delivered.
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The duo made their positions known in Minna during separate meetings with members of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port.
The committee is currently on an oversight tour to evaluate the state of the facility and its supporting infrastructure.
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Messrs Babangida and Abdulsalami, both retired military generals, hail from Niger State.
Abdulsalami, in his remarks, pressed for the port to be granted the status of an internationally recognised inland waterway, arguing that such a designation would secure its future against political interference.
“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.
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Tracing the project’s history, Mr Abdulsalami noted that successive governments, dating back to the Babangida and Abacha eras, had recognised its strategic importance.
He recalled allocating funds for its revival during his tenure but lamented that the facility had been repeatedly neglected despite multiple commissioning ceremonies.
He laid out a four-point strategy to make Baro Port fully functional: dredge the River Niger to the port and secure international recognition; restore the rail line linking Baro to the North; construct a proper, durable access road; and designate the facility as an inland free zone to attract investors.
“These are the key steps,” he said. “If you do them, Baro Port will work, and the whole country will benefit.”
Abdulsalami also urged the committee to prioritise the development of other inland ports such as Lokoja, to strengthen trade networks nationwide.
Mr Babangida, during his meeting with the lawmakers, described their visit as timely and long overdue.
“It’s something we have been praying for over many years,” he said, recalling his advocacy for the port during the Obasanjo and Yar’Adua administrations.
“I’m glad yours will be the last time, God willing, that we will get it formalised and completed during your initiative. You can be rest assured that I will do the best I can to support you on this’l he added.
The former military president underscored the port’s role in driving industrial growth in Niger State, stressing that the only way an industrial estate can develop effectively is when there are facilities like the Baro Port.
Mr Babangida vowed to continue lobbying for the project’s completion, joking that he would “whip” any stakeholder who slowed down the effort.
Committee Chairperson Saidu Abdullahi said the lawmakers were in Niger State to inspect the port site, the rail corridor, and the connecting road network, while engaging ministries, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, traditional rulers, and the state governor.
Their findings will be presented to the House upon return to Abuja.
Last month, the committee summoned the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, over irregularities surrounding the multi-billion-naira port project.
When he appeared before the committee last Tuesday, Mr Oyetola reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to transforming the port into a thriving inland trade gateway.
The Baro Inland Port
The Baro Inland Port is a strategic transport and logistics facility located on the banks of the River Niger in Baro, Niger State.
First established in 1908 under British colonial administration, it served as a key point for shipping agricultural produce, livestock, and goods from the North to the South via waterways.
The port was meant to be a central hub in Nigeria’s inland waterway network, linking seamlessly with rail and road systems to boost trade efficiency and reduce pressure on congested highways.
In its modern form, the project was reconstructed and commissioned in 2019, with billions of naira invested to position it as a major cargo distribution centre for northern Nigeria.
Equipped with cargo handling equipment and a 3,600-tonne capacity warehouse, the port was expected to stimulate economic activity, lower transportation costs, and create jobs.
However, poor access roads, an uncompleted rail link, and insufficient dredging of the River Niger have kept it non-operational since commissioning.
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