FG unveils plan for Lagos-Maiduguri high-speed rail corridor

THE Federal Government has announced plans to develop a high-speed rail corridor linking Lagos with Maiduguri as part of efforts to expand Nigeria’s transport infrastructure and reduce dependence on road travel.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Olufunso Adebiyi, disclosed the plan on Monday at the opening of the 19th National Council on Transportation in Abuja.

He said the proposed rail service could operate at speeds of up to 360 kilometres per hour, forming part of a broader strategy to integrate rail, road, maritime and air transportation.

According to Adebiyi, the government is seeking to transform the railway system, with several corridors already completed and operational.

He listed the Port Harcourt-Aba, Warri-Itakpe, Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna routes among the completed corridors.

He also said that construction was advancing on several other routes, including the Kaduna-Zaria-Kano line, which he said was nearly completed and expected to commence operations by December.

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Work is also progressing on the Kaduna-Daura-Katsina and Kano-Dutse routes, while the Katsina-Jibia-Maradi connection is targeted for completion next year.

The government is also pushing rail freight as part of measures to reduce the movement of heavy trucks on highways.

Adebiyi said the expansion of dry ports would facilitate the movement of containers closer to their final destinations, helping to reduce road congestion, accidents and damage to highways.

The ministry is simultaneously developing a national transport data system designed to improve passenger and vehicle tracking.

Adebiyi said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved a smart national transport data bank under a design-build-finance-operate-and-transfer model.

The proposed system will maintain central records on drivers, vehicles, number plates and transport operators, while standardised manifests at motor parks will capture information on vehicles, drivers, passengers and destinations.

The government also plans to pilot six standardised bus terminals equipped with passenger facilities, police posts, vehicle inspection bays and maintenance services.

Adebiyi said ongoing investments across the transport sector were also generating employment, with about 9,000 young people engaged on two major projects.

He said the government’s broader objective was to create an integrated transport network that would facilitate the movement of people and goods, lower logistics costs, improve safety and support economic productivity.