Baro Port: Proof of performance

The progressive continuity of governance policy of the Buhari Administration has again recorded a major accomplishment by the recent celebrated completion of the historic inland river port of Baro. As a neglected relic of the colonialist regime, the Baro Port has been repeatedly used as a political enticement for electioneering objectives especially to the people […]

The progressive continuity of governance policy of the Buhari Administration has again recorded a major accomplishment by the recent celebrated completion of the historic inland river port of Baro. As a neglected relic of the colonialist regime, the Baro Port has been repeatedly used as a political enticement for electioneering objectives especially to the people of the area. Until the Buhari Administration came on board in 2015, several half measures were taken suggestive of a commitment to take up the project and complete it once and for all. Unfortunately, the huge economic fortunes waiting to be exploited from the Baro Port and related infrastructure was never a priority to the short-sighted past governments.

The Buhari Administration rightfully focused on an accelerated completion of the Baro Port which is by far the most valuable of the projects. Integrated into the port facility are water hydrant system, water treatment plant, reach stacker, 100KVA power generating set and three forklifts of various tonnages, all vital components of a modern functional port. It is the first major development in the quest for a revitalized river transportation complex comparable to what the colonialists established for their maximum exploitation agenda.

While the completion of the Baro Port is not the realization of the full potentials of the complex it will certainly provide some immediate benefits in terms of jobs and a certain level of enhanced transportation advantages. It is therefore very encouraging to hear that the related infrastructure projects, particularly the dredging of the River Niger will receive the same measure of focused efforts to attain what other Administrations preferred to play politics with. The dredging project is the next most functional component for the realization of the economic potentials for the nation and the people of the vicinity of the Baro Port and River Niger.

The emergence of a viable river transportation system in Nigeria coupled with the inland river port complex at Baro will also go a long way in redressing some of the long-standing problems of congestion of the sea ports by providing an alternative. The dredging of the Lower River Niger is of particular significance for an accelerated achievement of the full economic potentials comparable to the colonialist experience.

Similarly, the Buhari Administration is already in advanced stage of the national road and rail reconstruction programme and it is heart-warming to observe that many of the key access routes linking to the Baro Port complex are included in this programme. This means within the next few years the much delayed implementation of projects that will transform the national economy in a big way and bring unprecedented socio-economic benefits to the long-neglected people of the Baro riverine areas and by extension the northern states, will be completed by the Buhari Administration.

Here then is yet another promising indication of the necessity for an uninterrupted transition to the well-thought out next level of the Buhari Administration through overwhelming endorsement of his second term bid in a few weeks. The next level of the Buhari Administration will surely bring more progress and development to the nation.

Ndakuta Mohammed, Lokoja