The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port has summoned the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, over the prolonged dormancy of the multi-billion-naira inland port project.
During its sitting on Tuesday in Abuja, the committee, led by Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, expressed outrage over the continued non-utilisation of the Baro Port, which was commissioned in 2019 and touted as a game-changer for inland waterway transportation in Nigeria.
“We need full documentation — contracts, evaluations, payment history, inspection reports, photographs — everything. This committee is not here to witch-hunt. Someone must take responsibility for what is clearly a national embarrassment,” Abdullahi said.
The committee questioned how a project declared “completed” and inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari remains non-operational, with no evidence of cargo movement, road access, or economic activity.
“This is unacceptable. The Nigerian people demand accountability, especially on projects that have consumed billions of naira,” Abdullahi added.
NIWA and the Ministry have been given seven days to submit comprehensive records, including: Contract agreements, Scope of work, Financial breakdowns, Inspection and handover documents, Official correspondence regarding the port’s status.
Representing the NIWA MD, General Manager of Ports and Environmental Services, Agbahe Fidelis, blamed the port’s redundancy on key infrastructural challenges, including: Inaccessible road networks, Silted waterways, Vandalised rail links, Worsening security threats in the region.
However, lawmakers remained unconvinced, describing NIWA’s justifications as inadequate and riddled with contradictions.
“If the port was truly completed and handed over, where are the ships? Where is the movement? Where’s the economic activity?” one committee member queried.
The committee announced plans to embark on an on-the-ground inspection of the Baro Inland Port in Niger State to independently verify its operational status.
It also reprimanded other key agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nigeria Railway Corporation, for failing to honour prior invitations. They have now been mandated to appear at the next hearing.
“This is not about politics or vendetta. It’s about transparency. The people deserve to know what happened to their money and why Baro is not working,” Abdullahi stressed.
The Baro Inland Port was envisioned as a strategic effort to decongest Nigeria’s overstretched seaports by enabling cargo movement through inland waterways. Yet, six years after its high-profile commissioning, it remains idle — a symbol of stalled infrastructure and unfulfilled promises.
