FG plans high-speed rail service from Lagos to Maiduguri

The federal government says it plans to develop a high-speed rail line linking Lagos to Maiduguri, with trains expected to run at up to 360 kilometres per hour.

Olufunso Adebiyi, permanent secretary at the ministry of transportation, spoke on Monday at the opening of the 19th national council on transportation in Abuja.

The four-day event was themed, ‘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 said the proposed rail line is part of the government’s efforts to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on roads by developing rail, maritime, and air transportation.

He said the railway sector is undergoing a “rebirth”, with several corridors already completed and operational.

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

He said work is also progressing on other rail lines 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.

The permanent secretary said the government is also promoting rail freight to reduce the number of heavy-duty vehicles on Nigerian roads.

He said expanding dry ports would help move containers closer to their final destinations, reducing road congestion, accidents, and damage to highways.

FG APPROVES DATABASE TO TRACK DRIVERS, VEHICLES, PASSENGERS

Adebiyi also disclosed that the federal executive council (FEC) had approved a smart national transport data bank under a design-build-finance-operate-and-transfer model.

He said the platform would create a central database for drivers, vehicles, number plates, and transport operators nationwide.

“It will also introduce standardised manifests at motor parks to record vehicle, driver, passenger and destination details,” he said.

According to Adebiyi, the system would make it easier to identify passengers involved in road crashes and track traffic violations.

“This means that anytime a vehicle has an accident anywhere, you can pick the manifest and know who is inside and for what purpose, and computerised plate numbers will also make it easier to track traffic violations,” he said.

He said the government also approved six standardised bus terminals as a pilot project.

According to the government official, the terminals would have waiting areas, passenger information systems, police posts, vehicle inspection bays, mechanic workshops, restaurants and restrooms.

Adebiyi said operators would be required to meet safety and regulatory requirements, with sanctions for violations.

On the maritime sector, Adebiyi said reconstruction and automation at the ports are ongoing to improve cargo handling, reduce congestion, and cut costs.

He said investments in the transport sector are also creating jobs, with about 9,000 youths currently engaged across two major projects.

Adebiyi said roughly 4,000 youths are engaged on one project and about 5,000 on another.

He also cited the Federal University of Transportation as part of efforts to develop specialised manpower for the sector.

According to the permanent secretary, the administration’s long-term goal is to create seamless movement of people and cargo across road, rail, air, and water.

This, Adebiyi said, would lower logistics costs, improve safety, reduce environmental impact, and boost productivity.(TheCable)