FG sets up technical committee on $200bn gas, power, rail project

The Federal Government has inaugurated a multi‑agency technical committee to review the $200 billion Integrated Gas, Power and High‑Speed Rail Project to ensure financing credibility and protect Nigeria from unseen liabilities. The project, Nigeria’s infrastructure initiative under President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda,” announced in August 2025, is intended to simultaneously upgrade energy supply, industrialize […]

The Federal Government has inaugurated a multi‑agency technical committee to review the $200 billion Integrated Gas, Power and High‑Speed Rail Project to ensure financing credibility and protect Nigeria from unseen liabilities.

The project, Nigeria’s infrastructure initiative under President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda,” announced in August 2025, is intended to simultaneously upgrade energy supply, industrialize the gas sector, and transform national transport connectivity.

The project also aims to break the cycle of poor power supply by directly linking Nigeria’s large gas reserves (over 200 trillion cubic feet proven) to power generation and rail electrification.

It is also to de‑congest road networks and reduce transport costs by shifting long‑haul freight and passenger traffic to high‑speed rail, with commercial speeds projected around 200–250 km/h.

In his remarks during the inauguration on Thursday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, said the proposal, put forward by the De‑Sadel (Nig.) Limited consortium in partnership with China Liancai Petroleum Investment Holdings Limited (Liancai Group), is “too large and too important” to be rushed.

Akume said the project, estimated at about $200 billion is envisioned as a multi‑phase programme integrating gas development, power generation and transmission, and the construction of a 4,000‑kilometre high‑speed rail network linking major economic corridors such as Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Port Harcourt.

“These kinds of projects have the potential to transform Nigeria’s transport infrastructure, strengthen energy security, stimulate industrial growth and deepen national integration,” Akume stated. “But they must also be carefully evaluated to ensure they align with national priorities, are technically sound, financially viable, and fully compliant with Nigeria’s legal and regulatory frameworks.”

The inter‑agency Technical Committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Political & Economic Affairs Office, OSGF, and includes representation from the Federal Ministries of Transportation, Petroleum Resources, Finance, Justice, and Environment; the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Debt Management Office (DMO), and others.

Akume urged Committee members to “approach this assignment with the highest level of professionalism, objectivity and patriotism,” adding that “your collective expertise and institutional knowledge will be critical in ensuring that the Federal Government receives relevant recommendations that will guide appropriate decisions at the highest level.”

Managing Director/CEO of De‑Sadel Nigeria Limited, Samuel Ukoh, who gave an executive summary of the project, described it as a “new foundation for infrastructure for this country,” and insisted that the initiative is “about the whole country,” rather than a private commercial venture.

Ukoh explained that the first phase of the 4,000‑kilometre network focuses on a 1,700‑kilometre corridor linking Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, covering over 20 states. He said trains on this line would run at 350 kilometres per hour, translating into travel times such as Lagos to Abuja in about two hours and 30 minutes, Kaduna to Abuja in less than 30 minutes, Enugu to Abuja in about 35–40 minutes, and Benue to Abuja in under 30 minutes.

Ukoh argued that building on bridges is actually faster than on the ground, and that the same bridge structure would carry fibre‑optic cables on one side and power transmission lines on the other, thereby integrating digital and energy infrastructure into the rail project.

“We are looking at over 2 million jobs through this project, we are looking at boosting the power sector, boosting the gas sector, and all of that,” Ukoh said. “The project benefits all of us in the world.”