Nigeria plans a Lagos-Maiduguri high-speed rail corridor capable of reaching 360km/h as government pushes integrated national transport development

The Federal Government has unveiled plans for a Lagos-Maiduguri high-speed rail corridor capable of supporting trains travelling at up to 360 kilometres per hour, as part of a broader push to create an integrated national transportation system.

Also read: Katsina Approves N828.6bn 2027 Budget for Development

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

Adebiyi said the proposed corridor could significantly reduce journey times between major Nigerian cities while offering passengers a faster alternative to road transportation.

He spoke on the theme, “Developing an Effective Transport System for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation.”

According to the permanent secretary, transportation remains a crucial driver of economic development because it facilitates the movement of people, goods and services across the country.

He described the ongoing expansion and rehabilitation of Nigeria’s railway network as a rebirth of rail transportation, pointing to completed and operational corridors as evidence of the government’s investment in the sector.

Among the corridors he identified are the Port Harcourt-Aba, Warri-Itakpe, Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna railway lines.

Adebiyi also said construction of the Kaduna-Zaria-Kano rail line was approaching completion, with operations expected to begin by December.

Work, he added, is ongoing on the Kaduna-Daura-Katsina, Katsina-Jibia-Maradi and Kano-Dutse corridors.

The proposed Lagos-Maiduguri connection would extend the government’s railway ambitions across much of the country, linking Nigeria’s commercial hub in the south-west with Maiduguri in the north-east.

At a proposed top speed of 360km/h, the corridor would represent a major leap in railway travel speed for Nigeria if eventually delivered at that specification.

The announcement comes as the Federal Government continues to promote rail development as an important component of its wider transportation strategy.

However, officials stressed that railway infrastructure alone would not be enough to create an efficient national transport system.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Abel Enitan, said effective transportation also requires strong institutions, reliable data, innovation, effective regulation and a skilled workforce.

Enitan described transportation as the “lifeblood of the economy” and called for closer collaboration between the Federal Government, state governments and transport agencies.

His position highlights one of the central challenges facing Nigeria’s transport sector: ensuring that major infrastructure projects are supported by the institutions and systems needed to operate them effectively.

An integrated network would also require effective connections between rail, road, maritime and other modes of transportation so that passengers and goods can move efficiently from one part of the country to another.

For commuters, the prospect of substantially faster rail travel could be transformative, particularly on long-distance routes where journeys by road can take many hours.

For businesses, improved rail connectivity could support the movement of goods between major commercial centres while potentially reducing pressure on the country’s road network.

The proposed Lagos-Maiduguri corridor is therefore being presented not simply as a railway project, but as part of a broader vision for a connected national economy.

Whether the ambitious 360km/h specification becomes reality will depend on planning, financing, construction and long-term operational capacity.

Also read: Katsina Approves N828.6bn 2027 Budget for Development

For now, the Federal Government’s announcement places high-speed rail at the centre of its emerging vision for Nigeria’s next phase of transport development.