The Federal Government has announced plans for a high-speed rail line connecting Lagos with Maiduguri.
The proposed trains could reach speeds of up to 360 kilometres per hour when the project is completed.
The plan could transform long-distance travel in Nigeria and reduce pressure on major highways.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Olufunso Adebiyi, announced the plan in Abuja.
He spoke on Monday during the opening of the 19th National Council on Transportation.
The four-day meeting focused on “Developing an Effective Transport System for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation.”
Adebiyi said the government wants to build a transport system that connects rail, roads, air travel and waterways.
The Lagos-Maiduguri high-speed rail forms part of the wider plan to improve movement across the country.
The ministry is also working on several railway routes across different regions.
These include the Port Harcourt-Aba, Warri-Itakpe, Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna corridors.
The Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway is expected to open by December, according to the ministry.
Work is also progressing on the Kaduna-Daura-Katsina and Kano-Dutse routes.
The government is equally promoting rail freight and inland dry ports to reduce heavy truck traffic.
Officials say this could lower road damage, traffic delays and accidents caused by heavy vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council approved a national transport data bank.
The system will store information on drivers, vehicles, number plates and commercial transport operators.
The government also approved six pilot bus terminals with improved passenger and security facilities.
