The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of Baro Inland Port, has decried the quality of work done at the facility.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Idris Wase (APC-Plateau) expressed the displeasure of the lawmakers during a courtesy visit on Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger State after an overnight visit to Baro Inland Port in the state.
Wase said that the port project was only “commissioned on paper” by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 in spite of the huge investments.
“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.
The lawmaker described port as a “gateway to Nigeria’s economy, saying that the neglect of the facility represented a wider national problem of infrastructure deficit.
He assured that the committee is determined to revive the port and to ensure its completion for equitable distribution of infrastructure across the country.
Idris said the committee will work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and other relevant stakeholders to address outstanding challenges, including dredging and navigation corridors needed to make the port operational.
The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Saidu Abdullahi (APC-Niger) expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of roads leading to the multi-billion-naira project, describing it as a major impediment to the port’s functionality.
The lawmaker said that in spite of the enormous potential of port to boost trade, create jobs, and open up the economy, the absence of motorable access roads has left the facility largely idle years after its commissioning.
He said that a trip that should ordinarily take half an hour now stretches into four gruelling hours because of the failed portions of the road.
“We are committed to ensuring that this port does not remain a white elephant project. Our work here is to make sure that all the issues are laid bare.
“Government agencies responsible for roads, inland waterways, and transport rise to the challenge. We cannot afford to abandon such a strategic project,” he said.
The General Manager of Business Development at the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr Bolawale Adetola expressed optimism that the port will soon become operational, provided critical challenges such as access roads and dredging are addressed.