News Investigators/ The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has restated the Federal Government’ commitment in making Baro River Port in Niger State a vibrant inland gateway.
Mr Oyetola stated this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Challenges and Prospects of the Baro River Port in Abuja on Tuesday.
NAN reports that the Ad-hoc committee was constituted after the adoption of a motion on the need to convene national stakeholders engagement on challenges and prospects of the Inland Port.
The minister acknowledged that the Port has been struggling to operate at all capacity since its commissioning in 2019 due to gaps in supporting infrastructure and navigability.
“Although commissioned in 2019 under the past administration, the port has faced operational constraints — the absence of critical linkages to road and rail infrastructure and navigability challenges along the River Niger.
“The challenges are there, when the issue of the port was being conceived, one would have expected that infrastructures that would make it operational should have been provided,” he said.
Mr Oyetola, who explained that the ministry was created barely two years ago, said they inherited the port from the previous administration.
According to him, “part of what we are trying to do is to ensure the need to do a lot of dredging, unfortunately, we are hampered by the scarcity of funds.”
The minister, however, outlined concrete steps to overcome the existing challenges and unlock the port’s full economic potential.
He reeled out the measures necessary for improving the port river navigability to include capital and continuous dredging, developing road and rail connections for seamless cargo movement.
Mr Oyetola also outlined attracting credible private sector operators through concessions, partnerships and instituting transparent governance systems.
He informed the Committee that the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) plans to dredge up to 2,000 kilometres of inland waterways, a move that will ensure Baro Port maintains the appropriate depth for year-round operations.
“Our ministry remains unwavering in its determination to transform Baro from a dormant facility into a thriving inland gateway.
“We are working closely with the Federal Ministries of Works and Transportation to deliver an integrated framework that combines infrastructure, operational efficiency and private sector participation,” he said.
Mr Oyetola said that, Baro River Port which is located in Niger is strategically positioned to link agricultural value chains and serve as a feeder to Onitsha, Lokoja, and Warri ports.
According to him, once operational, it can significantly boost Nigeria’s trade competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and ease pressure on the nation’s highways.
In his presentation, the Managing Director of the NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji, recalled that the Baro Port was first established in 1908 by Lord Lugard.
Mr Oyebamiji said that the aim was to facilitate the shipment of agricultural produce and livestock, serving as a major trade link between northern and southern Nigeria.
He said that the port has significant economic potential for the country, with all necessary facilities and equipment already in place.
He informed the committee that the project was awarded by the previous administration at a cost of ₦3.56 billion, of which ₦3.35 billion representing 94 per cent had already been paid to the contractor.
Oyebamiji further added that arrangements are currently underway to concession the port to private operators in order to attract fresh investment and ensure its effective operationalization.
Also speaking, Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali revealed that his ministry is developing a rail line to connect Baro Port with the rest of the country.
He acknowledged funding as a major hurdle and appealed to lawmakers for adequate budgetary provisions to ensure the linkage is completed.
Earlier, the House Ad-Hoc Committee Chairman, Saidu Abdullahi, said that the panel’s role is not investigative but facilitative, aimed at ensuring the full operationalisation of the port.
Mr Abdullahi disclosed that the current engagement would be followed by a national stakeholders’ forum to build consensus and mobilise political, technical, and financial backing for the project.
He stressed the committee’s determination to see Baro Port fully utilised, describing its strategic value to national trade, regional connectivity, and economic diversification as “immense and non-negotiable.”
The minister while responding to a question by a member of the Committee, Hon Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi said that, Baro Port has been a priority, but there had been lack of funds to dredge and make it navigable early enough.
The committee resolved to embark on an on the spot assessment visit to the port to see what could be done to make its operations a reality.
NAN