Former military heads of state, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, have urged the federal government and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to ensure the full operation of the Baro Inland Port in Niger State.
The two leaders who made the call in Minna on Friday during separate courtesy visits by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port, pledged their readiness to support efforts aimed at reviving the port.
The committee is on an oversight tour to assess the state of the facility and its supporting infrastructure.
Abdulsalami, in his remarks, advocated the elevation of the port to an internationally recognised inland waterway to secure its long-term viability.
“Once it is made an international waterway, no future government or political interest will be able to tamper with it. Baro port, for time immemorial, has played a very significant role in bringing goods to the North. We must restore it to that position,” he said.
Babangida, on his part, described the lawmakers’ visit as timely, saying the Baro project is something he has long prayed for and championed under different administrations.
“I want to thank you very much for the opportunity to visit me here. It couldn’t have come at a better time because it is something we have been praying for very many years,” he said.
The chairman of the committee, Saidu Abdullahi, said the visit was to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the port, the rail corridor and the access roads, with the aim of identifying challenges and exploring opportunities to make the facility operational.
