The Baro Inland Port, situated in the Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State, stands as a testament to unfulfilled promise, remaining dormant despite being inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari five years ago.
The port, equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure including a gigantic mobile harbor crane, a Reach Stacker, forklifts, a hydrant system, water treatment plant, and a 100 KVA generating set, lies idle, with no cargo lifted or vessel berthed since its grand unveiling in 2019.
Originally awarded to Chinese firm CGCC Project Limited in 2011/12 at a cost of N5.8 billion, the Baro Inland Port boasts impressive facilities such as a cargo stacking yard spanning 7,000 square meters and a transit shed covering 3,600 square meters, with an estimated capacity of 5,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU) at a time.
Former President Buhari had envisioned the Baro Inland Port as a catalyst for enhancing intermodal transportation connectivity, reducing road congestion caused by heavy trucks, and unlocking vast economic opportunities while alleviating pressure on similar ports across the country.
Despite assurances from officials, including the then Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, and former Governor Abubakar Bello, the Baro Port remains inactive, failing to fulfill its intended purpose of facilitating the efficient evacuation of farm produce and other commodities from the Baro community.
Plans for the development of a Baro International Port City and various economic empowerment initiatives for residents have yet to materialize, leaving the port as nothing more than a symbol of unmet aspirations and dashed hopes.
“Our expectations for development are dimming by the day because since the port was commissioned, no activities have taken place there,” Ndagana Mohammed, a Baro-based school teacher said.
Mohammed said, “During construction, our environment, including farmlands, were destroyed. We made sacrifices to ensure that development came to our immediate community, but it appears that our efforts are in vain. We don’t know what is happening.
“For over five years, the road from Agaie to Baro through Katcha has been dragging, thereby impacting negatively on our economic activities, such as fishing and farming. We are, however, hopeful that under the current Tinubu-led government, the port would take off.”
Like Mohammed, Ismaila Alhaji Aliyu, the councillor representing Baro ward at the Agaie Local Government, is also worried over the non-takeoff of the Baro Inland Port, five years after commissioning.
“It is worrisome because of the huge investments and immense benefits expected from the project. Any time I visit the place I get saddened, especially in view of the huge resources that have so far been committed into the project.
“During his recent visit to Niger State to commission a project, President Tinubu mentioned the Baro project, and I believe he would stand by his word by making it a reality.”
Findings indicate that apart from the issue of dredging, the poor road network has been the main constraint in the takeoff of the Baro Inland port.
It was observed that accessing the facility itself has been a major headache as the road and railway networks, which should catalyze its operation are in deplorable conditions.