The Federal Government says it is planning a high-speed rail corridor linking Lagos to Maiduguri, with trains potentially able to run at speeds of up to 360 km/h. The disclosure is made by Olufunso Adebiyi, Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transportation, during the opening of the 19th National Council on Transportation in Abuja.
The government presents the project as part of building an integrated and more efficient national transport network and cites transport as a driver of economic growth. One outlet emphasizes travel-time reduction and a faster alternative to road transport, while the other frames rail development as part of the “rebirth” of rail in Nigeria. Both mention ongoing railway expansions and rehabilitation, including completed corridors such as Port Harcourt–Aba, Warri–Itakpe, Lagos–Ibadan and Abuja–Kaduna. They also refer to construction progress on other lines, including work nearing completion on Kaduna–Zaria–Kano expected to begin operations by December, and continued work on additional corridors.
A separate official perspective highlighted in the coverage stresses that infrastructure needs effective institutions, regulation, reliable data, innovation, and skilled personnel, alongside coordination between federal and state governments and transport agencies.
