FG considers concessioning Baro Port, cites lack of funds for dredging, road, and rail links

The Federal Government is weighing plans to concession the Baro River Port in Niger State to private operators, as a way to unlock its potential amid a shortage of funds for dredging and critical transport infrastructure.

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this on Tuesday when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Challenges and Prospects of the Baro River Port in Abuja.

The committee was set up following a motion calling for a national stakeholders’ engagement to address the hurdles facing the inland port.

Oyetola noted that the port, commissioned in 2019, has struggled to function due to poor navigability on the River Niger and the absence of key road and rail connections.

“When the port was conceived, one would have expected that the necessary infrastructure for smooth operations should have been provided. Unfortunately, that was not the case,” he said.

He explained that the ministry, created less than two years ago, inherited the project from the previous administration, but has been constrained by limited funds.

Plans to revitalise the facility, according to him, include capital and continuous dredging of the river, development of road and rail links, and attracting credible private sector partners through transparent concession agreements.

The minister revealed that the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) intends to dredge up to 2,000 kilometres of inland waterways to ensure Baro maintains the depth required for year-round operations.

“Our goal is to transform Baro from a dormant facility into a thriving inland gateway. We are working with the Ministries of Works and Transportation to deliver an integrated framework combining infrastructure, operational efficiency, and private sector participation,” he stated.

Oyetola described Baro Port as a strategic link for agricultural value chains, with the capacity to serve as a feeder to the Onitsha, Lokoja, and Warri ports. Once fully operational, he said, it could boost Nigeria’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and reduce pressure on highways.

NIWA Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, traced the port’s history to 1908 when it was established by Lord Lugard to facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and livestock between the north and south. He noted that the facility, built at a cost of ₦3.56 billion—₦3.35 billion of which has been paid—already has the required equipment in place, and talks are ongoing to concession it to private operators to attract fresh investment.

Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, added that plans are underway to build a rail line linking the port to the national network, but funding remains a major challenge. He urged lawmakers to make adequate budgetary provisions for the project.

Ad-Hoc Committee Chairman, Rep. Saidu Abdullahi, stressed that the panel’s role was to facilitate, not investigate, the port’s activation. He said the current engagements would be followed by a national stakeholders’ forum to secure political, technical, and financial support.

He described the strategic importance of Baro Port to national trade, regional integration, and economic diversification as “immense and non-negotiable.”

The committee resolved to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the port to determine immediate steps towards making it fully operational.