An ad-hoc committee of the The House of Representatives has lamented the Baro Inland Port in Niger State, despite heavy investment, exists more on paper than in reality, following its commissioning by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

Former Deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Wase, made the remark when the House Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of Baro Inland Port, led by Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, visited Governor Umaru Bago at the Niger State Government House during an oversight inspection of the facility.

Wase, who spoke on behalf of the committee, lamented that the lawmakers visit laid bare the true condition of the port.

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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 said.

Describing the Baro Port as a gateway to Nigerias economy, Wase recalled its colonial-era roots and reinforcement by late President Umaru Musa YarAdua, saying its neglect was symptomatic of Nigerias wider infrastructure deficit.

He assured that the committee, with the full support of the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, would push to revive the project, stressing that equitable infrastructure distribution across the country was a constitutional imperative.

By the time we ensure fairness in infrastructure development, nobody will care where the president comes from. What matters is that every region benefits, he said.

Wase commended Governor Bagos vision for agriculture and infrastructure, likening him to the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and urging him to write his name in gold by backing the ports revival.

He also pledged collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and other agencies to address dredging and navigation challenges critical to making the facility operational.

Responding, Governor Bago emphasised that the Baro Inland Port is a national project with strategic relevance, not just a Niger State or northern concern.

He noted its historical role in the Northern Africa Trade Corridor and its original linkage to the LagosKanoJibia rail line.

He warned that the neglect of the facility continues to worsen road gridlock and infrastructure damage, particularly in Bida, where overloaded trucks frequently cripple highways.

Since I became governor, we have been working towards the realisation of the Baro Port project. This is not a Niger State project, and not even a northern project. It is a Nigerian project, he said.

Bago lamented Nigerias abandonment of railway freight, stressing that reviving Baro Port alongside rail transport would reduce road pressure, cut costs, and promote sustainable cargo movement.

He also called for a stronger presence of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in Niger State, including a functional office in Minna, to boost waterways safety and development.

Beyond the ports underutilisation, the lawmakers expressed outrage over the deplorable condition of access roads leading to the multi-billion-naira facility, describing them as the single biggest hindrance to its operation.

On its part, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) expressed optimism that the port could still come alive, provided critical issues like access roads and dredging are addressed.

Represented by the General Manager of Business Development, Mr. Bolawale Adetola, the NIWA Managing Director said: Everything that a port needs to work is on ground. The key challenges are the access road and the silted channel, which requires dredging.

He said NIWA has made efforts to revive the facility but acknowledged that stronger inter-agency collaboration and funding were essential.