The Federal Government has rolled out its plans to connect the North-South trading route by rail in 2021.
The government said 25 major highways and 44 roads are under construction in the six geo-political zones of the country.
The rail link is expected to boost the movement of passengers and cargoes as well as the economy.
President Muhammadu Buhari broke the news yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, when he addressed the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) Africa regional conference.
Nigeria currently holds the Regional Vice Presidency of the association through the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
President Buhari, who acknowledging developmental challenges in Africa, urged nations to work together and deploy resources to solve issues that militate against the continent.
He said: “It is particularly gratifying that it is at the time that Nigeria has the privilege of the vice presidency of this important body that the idea of a continental conference is coming up for the first time.
“This is a testament to our commitment to the development of the continent and its maritime industry in this particular instance. Nations in Africa are also largely connected by the same developmental challenges as well as large human capital and natural endowments.
“It behoves on us, therefore, to work together and deploy our resources towards solving those issues that militate against us.
“One of the resources we can proudly speak about as Africans is our maritime endowment. A situation in which at least 39 of the 54 countries on the continent are either littoral or island states makes the formulation of policies for the effective utilisation of our waters for the growth of our economies expedient.
“This, in a sense, seems to be a divine ordination of our desire for continental integration. Even though we have physical national boundaries that separate us, the waters are a natural source of connectivity and they seem like a subtle message that we must work together for the good of all our countries.
“This is why there could be no better time than now to hold this conference. The theme of the conference: African Ports and Hinterland Connectivity, is itself a testament to the determination to collectively seek lasting solutions to the challenges that port operations face on the continent.
“After the issues of tight security and transparency, the one other important factor deciding the competitiveness of ports is the efficiency with which cargoes are evacuated to and from the ports. This, without doubt, is an area in which port operations in Africa need a lot of intervention.”