The House of Representatives today took a historic step towards reviving one of Nigeria’s most strategic economic assets by adop...
The House of Representatives today took a historic step towards reviving one of Nigeria’s most strategic economic assets by adopting a motion calling for the immediate convening of a national stakeholders’ engagement on the Baro Inland Port in Niger State.
The motion, titled “Urgent Need to Convene a National Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Challenges and Prospects of the Baro Inland Port in Niger State,” was moved by Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase and co-sponsored by Rt. Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi alongside all Honourable Members of the Niger State and North-Central Caucuses.
During the debate, the sponsors recalled that the Baro Inland Port was established in 1908 by the British colonial administration, following its strategic discovery by Lord Frederick Lugard and his team during a voyage along the River Niger. Enhanced by a rail connection from Kano to Baro in 1911, the port became Nigeria’s first colonial inland river port and a vital trade hub linking the northern region to the southern ports of Onitsha and Apapa.
Lawmakers expressed concern that despite its historical and economic significance, Baro Port has remained non-operational for decades. Successive administrations attempted to revive the facility, including commissioning an Environmental Impact Assessment by the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) under General Sani Abacha, and a ₦36 billion dredging project for the Lower Niger River initiated by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, which was halted following his death.
Although the physical infrastructure was completed and the port officially commissioned in 2019 during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, operations have yet to commence due to infrastructural and logistical shortcomings—such as poor access roads, inadequate rail connectivity, and the absence of a clear operational framework.
The House emphasized that the current effort is not aimed at constructing a new port but at rehabilitating and reactivating an existing, strategically located, and economically vital infrastructure. It also recalled previous legislative efforts, including motions in the 9th Assembly by lawmakers from Niger South and Agaie/Lapai Federal Constituencies, which failed to spur meaningful federal action.
To chart a way forward, the House resolved to establish an Ad-Hoc Committee tasked with convening a national stakeholders’ engagement. This forum will bring together relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), private sector investors, and other key stakeholders.
The Committee, chaired by Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi, comprises Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, Hon. Sada Soli, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, Hon. Nicholas Mutu, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, Hon. Abdullahi Mahmud, Hon. John Dafaan, Hon. Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, Hon. Abejide Joseph Leke, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bio, Hon. Takhigir Dickson Dominic Tyolumun, Hon. Miriam Onuoha, Hon. Tolulope Akande Sadipe, Hon. Marie Ebibake, and Hon. Fred Agbede.
The engagement aims to diagnose existing challenges and propose actionable strategies for the full operationalization of the Baro Inland Port. The Ad-Hoc Committee is expected to report back to the House within two months with its findings and recommendations.
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