Engr. Mutiu Yinka Idris, Director of Operations at Geofocus, has expressed strong confidence in the Lagos-Abuja Super Highway and High-Speed Train projects, emphasising their role in transforming Nigeria’s economy.
With this initiative, he said Nigeria was poised to unlock unprecedented economic potential, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a prosperous, modern and efficient transportation sector.
According to him, addressing Nigeria’s infrastructure deficits, particularly in road and rail transport, is essential for driving economic growth, wealth creation, and sustainable development in Africa’s largest economy by GDP.
“A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, identified the Lagos-Abuja High-Speed Railway and Super Highway as a key economic driver in 2016 will be led by the AEC-Geofocus consortium.”
He said that the Lagos-Abuja corridor, spanning approximately 500 kilometers, will connect Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, and Niger states before reaching Abuja, under a design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Maintain (DBFOM) model.
Idris noted that AEC-Geofocus, a consortium of engineers, planners, and investors, has successfully attracted $16 billion from Middle Eastern investors, with additional interest from European financial institutions and the World Bank.
The financial framework, he explained, was designed to minimise government expenditure, safeguard public funds and prevent cost overruns through an efficient risk-sharing mechanism.
Idris described the high-speed train component as a double-gauge rail line capable of speeds up to 250 km/hr, with two main stations in Lagos and Abuja as well as 11 intermediate stops.
According to him, the bullet train traveling at 250 km/hr, will cut Lagos-Abuja travel time from 10 hours by road to just 3 hours. The Super Highway will reduce travel time to 5 hours.”
He also mentioned that the super highway would feature eight lanes, two service lanes, and 13 tolling points, supporting faster and safer travel between Nigeria’s two key cities.
Beyond transportation, Idris revealed plans for ten smart cities, one million housing units and an independent power plant, positioning the project as a transformative initiative for Africa.
Expressing optimism, he assured stakeholders of a grand project flag-off before February 2025, reiterating AEC-Geofocus’ commitment to delivering world-class infrastructure.
He praised the Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’idu Alkali, for his commitment to transformative infrastructure, underscoring the project’s potential to revolutionise Nigeria’s transportation sector and economy.
