The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the full operation of the Baro River Port in Niger State, pledging to address the infrastructure and navigability challenges that have stalled its use since commissioning.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, gave the assurance on Tuesday while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Challenges and Prospects of the Baro River Port. The committee was set up following a motion to convene a national dialogue on the future of the inland port.
Oyetola explained that, despite its commissioning in 2019, the Baro River Port has yet to operate at full capacity due to the absence of key road and rail linkages, as well as navigability problems along the River Niger.
“The challenges are there, no doubt about it. When the issue of the port was being conceived, ordinarily one would have expected that infrastructures that would make it operational should have been provided,” the minister said, adding that the Tinubu administration is committed to resolving these gaps to unlock the port’s economic potential.
Stakeholders believe that the port’s activation could boost trade, ease cargo movement, and open up new economic opportunities for Niger State and the wider region.
