By Rita Iliya

The House of Representative Ad-hoc Committee on Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of Baro Inland Port and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) were at the port for an on-the-spot assessment.

Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Sai’du Abdullahi (Bida/Gbako Federal Constituency), led members to the port to engage stakeholders on Saturday.

He explained that the committee’s visit was to assess the port’s facilities and identify challenges hindering its commencement.

Abdullahi expressed satisfaction with the port equipment but lamented the outstanding road and rail connectivity.

“From our assessment, virtually all equipment needed for the take off of the port are on ground except for access road and rail connectivity.

“It is quite unfortunate that a journey of 30 minutes has taken four hours due to lack of access road,” he said.

The chairman noted that the contract for the access road was awarded nearly 10 years ago and it has yet to be completed.

He stressed the need for project management and timelines for contracts, adding that the committee would engage other stakeholders at the national assembly to tackle the challenges facing the port.

Also speaking, Bola Oyebamiji, Managing Director of NIWA, described the visit as a welcome development.

Oyebamiji, represented by James Adetola, General Manager Business Development, said the port inaugurated by Buhari since 2019 has been underutilised.

He disclosed that NIWA has been working to make the port operational and the committee’s assistance would help address funding challenges.

He noted that the port needs an access road and dredging to function effectively.

“Everything that a port needs to work is on ground, apart from the access road and our channel always seal up, so we need to dredge,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Baro port is situated along the River Niger and serves as a critical transportation hub for the country’s inland waterways and rail network. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz