21/05/2025
REPS MOVE TO REVIVE BARO INLAND PORT, SET UP AD-HOC COMMITTEE TO CONVENE NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS’ ENGAGEMENT.
The House of Representatives today took a historic step towards reviving one of Nigeria’s most strategic economic assets with the adoption of a motion calling for the immediate convening of a national stakeholders’ engagement on the Baro Inland Port in Niger State.
In 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 and all Honourable Members of the Niger State and North-Central Caucuses.
While leading the debate, the sponsors recalled the establishment of the Baro Inland Port 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 served as 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 relevance, Baro Port has remained non-operational. Over the decades, successive administrations attempted to revive the facility. Efforts included the commissioning of an Environmental Impact Assessment by the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) under General Sani Abacha, and the release of ₦36 billion for the dredging of the Lower Niger River by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, which was halted following his death.
Though physical infrastructure was completed and the port officially commissioned in 2019 during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, lawmakers noted that operations are yet to commence due to infrastructural and logistical shortcomings, including poor access roads, inadequate rail connectivity, and the absence of a clear operational framework.
The House recognized that the current push is not for the construction of a new port but for the rehabilitation and reactivation of an existing, strategically located, and economically vital infrastructure. It also recalled previous legislative efforts, particularly motions in the 9th Assembly by lawmakers from Niger South and Agaie/Lapai Federal Constituency, which failed to result in meaningful federal action.
In a bid to chart a way forward, the House resolved to establish an Ad-hoc Committee that will convene a national stakeholders’ engagement, bringing together critical actors such as the relevant ministries, departments and agencies, private sector investors, and other key stakeholders.
The Committee, chaired by Hon. Saeed Musa Abdullahi and comprising the following lawmakers, was constituted: 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, according to the House, will 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.
Dodo Mustapha Alhaji
Senior Legislative Aide to Rt. Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi
May 21, 2025
