Former Nigerian leaders, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd) and General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), have called for immediate steps to rehabilitate and operationalise the long-stalled Baro Inland Port in Niger State, pledging their full backing to ensure the facility finally becomes functional.
The two elder statesmen made their positions known on Friday in Minna, Niger State, when they received members of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port. The lawmakers were in the state for an oversight visit to inspect the port and related infrastructure.
Speaking during the meeting, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, emphasised that the Baro Port should be upgraded to an internationally recognised inland waterway to secure its long-term relevance.
“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 stated.
Abdulsalami recalled that successive governments, from the administrations of Generals Babangida and Abacha to his own, recognised the port’s strategic value. He noted that funds were made available for its revival during his tenure but lamented that it had been left to decay despite repeated commissioning ceremonies.
Outlining a four-point strategy to make the facility fully operational, he urged: dredging the River Niger to Baro and securing its international status; restoring the rail link to the North; constructing a quality access road; and designating the port as an inland free zone to attract investment.
“These are the key steps: dredge it, revive the rail line, build a proper road, and make it a free zone. If you do these, Baro Port will thrive, and the whole nation will benefit,” Abdulsalami added.
He also encouraged the committee to extend its focus to other inland ports like Lokoja to boost trade and the economy, pledging his unwavering support.
Similarly, former Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida commended the committee’s visit, describing the renewed push for Baro Port as timely.
“It couldn’t have come at a better time because it’s something we have been praying for for many years,” Babangida said.
He recounted his advocacy for the project during the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, expressing hope that this current effort would be the final push needed for completion.
“I’m glad yours will be the last time, God willing, that we will get it formalised and completed. I will do my best to support you, and I pray to Allah that we live to see it become a reality,” he assured.
Babangida underscored the port’s potential to spur industrial growth in Niger State, promising continued pressure on stakeholders to ensure its completion.
Chairman of the House Committee, Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, explained that the lawmakers’ mission was to assess the port, the rail line, and the access roads, identify challenges, and explore opportunities for making the facility fully functional.
The committee, which includes representatives from the Federal Ministries of Transport and Works as well as the Nigerian Railway Corporation, will also consult with traditional rulers and the Niger State governor before returning to Abuja to present its findings.
Commissioned in 2019 with high expectations, the Baro Inland Port was intended to serve as a key logistics hub linking Nigeria’s inland waterways with its rail network. Despite billions of naira invested, it has remained idle, a situation the committee is determined to change.
COURTESY: Independent
