By Seun Ibiyemi
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port has summoned the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, to address alleged irregularities surrounding the multi-billion-naira port project.
Committee Chairman, Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, issued the summons during a session held in Abuja on Tuesday, directing NIWA to present comprehensive records on the planning, construction, handover and operational status of the facility. The port, designed to ease the burden on the nation’s seaports and boost inland waterway transport, has drawn scrutiny over questions surrounding its viability.
The committee gave NIWA and the ministry seven days to submit contract agreements, project scope, payment details, inspection reports, photographs and any official documentation confirming the port’s operational readiness.
“We need all the information: complete contract files, evaluation reports and proof of execution. The Managing Director and the Minister are summoned to appear and provide a full financial breakdown. Someone must take responsibility for what appears to be a scandal,” Abdullahi said.
He voiced concern that the facility could become yet another abandoned infrastructure project despite the billions of naira already invested. “This is a very serious matter. The House will not stand idle while a project of this magnitude goes to waste. Nigerians deserve assurances that this kind of spending will end,” he added.
Lawmakers at the session expressed disappointment over conflicting reports on the port’s completion and operational status, questioning why a facility reported to have been finished and handed over remains inactive, with no evidence of cargo movement or adequate road access.
The committee resolved to rely solely on verifiable documents rather than verbal claims to establish the true condition of the project. Members stressed that the Baro Port, intended to decongest seaports and support inland cargo haulage, must demonstrate value commensurate with the public funds expended.
“This is not about targeting individuals; it is about accountability. The public deserves to know what happened to their money,” a committee member stated.
NIWA attributed the port’s continued dormancy to severe access challenges, waterway siltation, vandalised rail infrastructure and security risks, despite its commissioning in 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Representing NIWA’s Managing Director at the meeting, General Manager, Ports and Environmental Services, Agbahe Fidelis, explained that these critical infrastructure gaps have prevented the facility from functioning.
The committee also resolved to carry out an on-site inspection for independent verification and warned that agencies absent from Tuesday’s meeting, including the Ministry of Works and the Nigeria Railway Corporation, must attend the next session.