Nigeria, Aug. 17 -- The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port has warned that the multi-billion-naira facility risks becoming a wasted investment if urgent rehabilitation of its access roads and waterways is not undertaken.

During an oversight visit to Niger State, the lawmakers expressed concern that six years after the commissioning of the port in 2019, its promise of boosting trade, creating jobs, and easing pressure on Nigeria's congested seaports has been frustrated by collapsed roads and a silted river channel.

The committee chairperson, Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger), told journalists that a journey to the port, which should ordinarily take 30 minutes, now las...