Managing director of the National Internal Waterway Authority (NIWA), Haija Inna Ciroma, has announced concerns in regards to land access at the Port of Baro, Nigeria.
Speaking during a safety awareness campaign at Nupeko in Niger State, Ciroma announced that whilst the construction of the port was practically finished, serious restrictions in connectivity via land could hinder port function exponentially.
During the speech, Ciroma made a direct plea to local governor, Dr. Babanigida Aliyu, asking that the governor assist in helping the road works take priority in the ministry of transportation agenda 2014/15 “because without a good access road to the port, there will be way the port can be effective in its operation.”
Baro Port is one in a series associated with the dredging of the River Niger.
The ₦36 billion project which began in 2009, involved the dredging of around 572 kilometres of riverbed from Warri in the Niger delta, all the way to Baro in central Nigeria.
A series of projects along the freshly completed river, including Baro, Onitsha and Oguta are nearing final completion stages.
Ciroma said: “we have just commissioned the Onitsha River port in Anambra State and Baro port in Niger State is next in line and it will be the very first River port to be completed in northern Nigeria and may end up being the flagship port for the whole of northern part of Nigeria”.
However, without correct transportation routes, there is a worry that this ₦4.2 billion construction project may all have been in vain.
