The Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalization of the Baro Inland Port, Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, has stressed the need to look beyond budgetary allocations in executing major infrastructure projects.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on the challenges and prospects of the port, Abdullahi warned that focusing solely on financial provisions often leads to abandoned or stalled works. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, announced fresh measures to make the Baro River Port in Niger State fully operational after years of inactivity due to infrastructural and navigational constraints.
Oyetola said the plan includes dredging 2,000 kilometres of inland waterways, linking the port to road and rail networks, and attracting private sector investment. While admitting that funding shortages have slowed progress, he expressed confidence that coordinated efforts with the Ministries of Works and Transportation would yield results.
Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, highlighted the lack of dredging and inadequate road and rail connectivity as major setbacks to the port’s operations. Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, revealed plans to link the port to the national rail network and appealed to lawmakers for budgetary support.
