President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday commissioned the Baro Inland Water Port in Niger State.
The contract, costing N6billion, was originally awarded in 2011/12, then abandoned, until the current administration revisited it.
The Baro port was built by CGCC Global Project Nigeria Ltd.
Confirming the commissioning last weekend, Mr Tayo Fadile, General Manager in charge of Corporate Affairs, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), said the new port is fitted with a Mobile Harbour Crane, Transit shed and an Administrative block.
“It is also equipped with facilities such as water hydrant system, water treatment plant, reach stacker, 100KVA power generating set and three forklifts of various tonnages, among others.
“Baro Port is one of the river ports being built by the Federal Government to support the dredging of the Lower River Niger project.
“It will help keep off the road several heavy duty trailers and trucks, thereby extending the life span of our roads,’’ Fadile said in a statement.
He said that NIWA had started upgrading the road network linking the port.
“The Baro River Port is expected to create at least 2000 direct jobs and hundreds of thousands indirect jobs. It will help keep off the road several heavy duty trailers and trucks, thereby extending the life span of our roads.
“In the past, during the colonial era, Baro used to have a thriving river port and a railway line which were used for evacuation of farm produce and mineral resources. It was a trading point between Nigeria and neighbouring countries through the Inland waterways transportation mode.
“There is hope that the old rail lines used in the colonial days will be revived and the road network linking the port is already being upgraded,” the statement said.
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