The Federal Ministry of Transportation has dismissed a circulating story claiming that a Lagos-Abuja High-Speed Bullet Train will soon be launched, cutting travel time between the cities from 12 hours to just two to three hours.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the ministry described the report, widely shared online, as fake and unfounded. The ministry clarified that the statement made by Yinka Idris, Director of Operations at Geofocus Consortium, was false.
The ministry explained that Geofocus Consortium had presented an unsolicited proposal in 2016 to build the bullet train under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with full financing from the consortium. However, in 2024, the proposal was forwarded to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for vetting.
ICRC requested a support letter from the consortium’s financiers, which has not yet been provided. Furthermore, the ICRC has not approved the proposal due to the lack of proof of funding, which is crucial for moving forward with the submission of the Full Business Case (FBC).
The ministry called on Geofocus Consortium to apologize for spreading misinformation and urged Nigerians to disregard the false news. The ministry also sought the cooperation of all stakeholders to help ensure the success of the sector.
