The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), yesterday, said President Muhammadu Buhari will tomorrow commission the just completed Baro River Port in Niger State.

NIWA’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Tayo Fadile, in a statement issued in Lokoja, said the Baro River Port was built by a Chinese firm, CGCC Global Project Nigeria Limited at the total cost of N6 billion.

He said the port to be commissioned is equipped with a mobile harbour crane, transit shed, administrative block, fire hydrant system, water treatment plant, Reach stacker, 100KVA power generating set, and three forklifts of various tonnages.

“It is one of the river ports built to support the dredging of Lower River Niger project.  Onitsha River Port has already been rehabilitated while Oguta and Lokoja River Ports are nearing completion.

“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.