Tinubu Govt Plans High-Speed Rail Service From Lagos To Maiduguri

The Federal Government has announced plans to build a high-speed railway connecting Lagos with Maiduguri, with trains expected to reach speeds of up to 360 kilometres per hour.

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

The four-day meeting is being held under the theme, “Developing an Effective Transport System for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation.”

“Light rail projects have also been approved for Lagos and Kano with plans to extend similar systems to other state capitals,” he said.

Adebiyi explained that the planned rail expansion is part of efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on road transport by strengthening rail, maritime and air transportation.

According to him, Nigeria’s railway system is going through a major transformation, with several rail corridors already completed and in use.

He identified the Port Harcourt-Aba, Warri-Itakpe, Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna routes among the completed and operational railway lines.

Adebiyi added that construction is continuing on several other routes across the country.

“The Kaduna–Zaria–Kano line is nearing completion and should open by December. The Kaduna–Daura–Katsina line is progressing, the Katsina–Jibia–Maradi link is targeted for next year, and work continues on Kano–Dutse,” he said.

Adebiyi further said the government is investing in rail freight services to reduce the number of heavy trucks using Nigerian roads.

He noted that expanding dry ports would make it easier to transport containers closer to their final destinations.

The permanent secretary said this would help reduce traffic, road accidents and damage to major highways.

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