By Musa Goyi Ibrahim
The renewed commitment of the present administration to the revival of the Baro River Port in Niger State is a welcome sign of pragmatism and vision in Nigeria’s infrastructure development. Through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, under the leadership of Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, a deliberate and honest effort is being made to bring life back to a facility that has long symbolised both the promise and the failures of national planning. For once, there is a sense that government is prepared to confront the hard truths of the past, while embracing a coordinated and purposeful approach to make Baro Port work for Nigerians. This effort deserves commendation, not only for the candour with which it has been pursued, but also for the potential it carries to reshape inland waterway transport and open up new frontiers for trade and development.
The story of Baro is not one that began yesterday. Its origins stretch back more than a century to 1908, when it served as a vital hub for inland river trade under colonial administration. Linked to the Baro–Kano railway, it functioned as an artery through which goods could move seamlessly from the hinterland to the River Niger and beyond, integrating road, rail, and water transport in a way that reflected the foresight of an era that recognised logistics as the foundation of commerce. It was this historical significance that made the decision to revive Baro Port in contemporary times both logical and attractive. Under the Inland Waterways Development Masterplan, the project was meant to relieve the pressure on Lagos seaports, facilitate multimodal transport, and create new opportunities for the North-Central region to participate more fully in the national and continental economy.
When the previous administration commissioned the Baro Port in January 2019, the event was presented as a triumph. It was celebrated with national fanfare and touted as evidence of government’s commitment to expanding the frontiers of infrastructure. Nigerians were told that a new era of inland waterway commerce had begun. Yet what has unfolded in the six years since has been a sobering reminder of how much damage political optics can do when they are allowed to substitute for serious planning. The port was built and equipped, but the vital supporting infrastructure was either absent or in shambles. The access roads were deplorable, with trucks unable to reach the facility without hours of delay. The once-functional Baro–Kano railway had collapsed, and no effort had been made to resuscitate it. The River Niger, on which the port depended, had not been dredged to the depth necessary for navigability, leaving it shallow and silted for most of the year. The commissioning had also taken place without the appointment of a concessionaire or private operator, meaning that even if goods could reach the port, there was no operational framework to process them. The result was a paradoxical situation: a shiny new port complex filled with equipment and storage areas, but unable to handle a single container. Instead of becoming a vibrant hub of trade, Baro became a silent monument to the futility of prioritising appearances over substance. This failure offers a broader lesson about the nature of development. National progress cannot be achieved through grand ceremonies or symbolic gestures.
Development is the product of careful planning, integrated thinking, and pragmatic execution. To inaugurate a port without dredging its river channels, without repairing its roads, without restoring its rail links, and without putting in place a competent operator is akin to celebrating a harvest when the seeds were never planted. It is the story of the cart being put before the horse, of a nation willing to indulge in self-congratulation without doing the hard work required to build lasting institutions.
It is against this backdrop of disappointment that the present administration’s approach deserves recognition. Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, speaking candidly before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Baro Port in August 2025, acknowledged openly that the facility had never been operated because of obvious infrastructural and navigational gaps. Such honesty is rare in the Nigerian political landscape, where officials often prefer to mask shortcomings with rhetoric. More importantly, he outlined a strategy for redemption. Plans are now underway to dredge the River Niger, not as a one-off event, but as a sustained exercise to guarantee year-round navigability. Oyetola also said that the Ministry of Works, under Engr. David Umahi, would be enlisted to rehabilitate the access roads, while the Ministry of Transportation, under Senator Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, is being tasked with reviving the collapsed rail connection that is indispensable to intermodal transport. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), which owns the port, has also announced intentions to attract a credible concessionaire through a public–private partnership model, thereby bringing in operational expertise, efficiency, and much-needed private investment.
The scale of what lies ahead is daunting. Experts estimate that dredging Nigeria’s inland waterways and maintaining them adequately could cost over a trillion naira, a figure that underscores the enormity of the task. Yet cost, while significant, should not blind us to the transformative potential of success. For this project to move forward, executive will must be matched with legislative commitment. The National Assembly, which holds the power of appropriation, must recognise that reviving Baro Port is not a regional luxury but a national necessity, and must therefore provide the funding required for dredging, road rehabilitation, and rail restoration. Encouragingly, there now appears to be a level of alignment between the executive and the legislature that was absent in the past, and this alignment could prove decisive.
The implications of a functional Baro Port are profound. It would help decongest Apapa and Tin Can, drastically reduce the cost of moving goods across the country, and provide an alternative gateway for agricultural produce and solid minerals from the North-Central. It would stimulate local economies, create jobs, and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Beyond economics, it would send a strong signal that Nigeria can, with the right leadership and coordination, reverse past missteps and turn dormant assets into engines of growth.
The story of Baro Port illustrates that good ideas can be sabotaged by poor execution, but also that failure need not be permanent. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Baro has been given a second chance, and this time it is being treated with the seriousness it deserves. The candour of Minister Oyetola, the recognition of the roles of various ministries, and the inclusion of the National Assembly in the process all suggest that this is no longer a vanity project but a coordinated national endeavour. For the first time in many years, the emphasis appears to be on functionality rather than fanfare.
As Minister Oyetola has said, to make Baro succeed, all stakeholders must sustain the momentum. Dredging must not be allowed to stall, roads and rail must be rehabilitated by the appropriate ministries, and a capable operator must be appointed by NIWA to ensure that the port runs as a viable commercial entity. The support of the Niger State Government, the oversight of the National Assembly, and the coordination of the Federal Ministries of Works, Transportation, and Marine and Blue Economy are all essential. This is not a task for one ministry alone but a collective responsibility.
Baro Port has waited for more than a century to fulfil its destiny as a vibrant inland gateway. Under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, it now has a second chance to rise, not as a monument to failed promises but as a living symbol of what Nigeria can achieve when planning, pragmatism, and political will converge. The revival of Baro River Port will not only transform trade but also restore faith in the idea that Nigeria can learn from its past mistakes and chart a new course for its future.
Musa Goyi Ibrahim writes from Suleja, Niger State.
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