..construction work resumes on site June – Minister
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to take over the completion of the National Library of Nigeria headquarters building project, which has been abandoned for nearly two decades.
Minister of Education, Dr Morufu Olatunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, while inspecting the project, assured Nigerians that contractors would resume construction work on the site on or before June, 2025.
According to the Minister, TETFund has earmarked a certain percentage of its budget for work to resume on the site.
The last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had made a similar effort to get TETFund fund the completion of the national monument in vain because of what stakeholders described as “scant interest in library development” by the then administration.
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The then Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, upon assuming office in 2023, promised to ensure the completion of the project by 2025, but that was not to be because contractors were never mobilised tothe site until his eventual sack.
The initial projection for TETFund to release for completion of the project was N50 billion, but with the current inflationary trend, several hundred of billions would be required to complete the project.
The monumental project, which began construction in 2006 and was initially scheduled for completion in 2008, faced several obstacles, with work coming to a halt in 2012.
The Minister of Education, Dr Minister Alausa, who visited the site on Wednesday expressed the determination and commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete the abandoned project, which many stakeholders, both within and outside the shores of the country, have described as “national embarrassment”.
He said that under the leadership of President Tinubu, the project has regained momentum, explaining, however, that the work would be done in phases.
The minister revealed that the first phase of the project, which includes essential structural and aesthetic work, would lay the foundation for the completion of this long-awaited national asset.
He emphasised the significance of the National Library for human capital development, stating the President’s commitment to the country’s future and the innovative approach being adopted to complete the monumental project.
“We had three national monuments that were planned for the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja. We have the National Mosque, the National Ecumenical Centre, and the National Library.
“Ironically, today, almost 40 years after the National Mosque has been completed, the Ecumenical Centre has also been completed, yet we’re still battling to complete the National Library.
“The president believes so much in the capabilities of our youth, the future of our youth, and their abilities to move this country forward. And that’s why the president is committed to moving this project forward. As I said, it was designed in 1981 and construction started in 2006.
“And I can tell you today, the president has directed TETFund to set aside a certain percentage of their budget for us to start using for this project. My predecessor was here one year ago. My predecessor did everything possible for us to get to this point. We now have some money to move back to the site.
“We have a dedicated fund from TETFund to move back to the site. And I’ve spoken to the consultant and the contractors that we have a deadline of moving back to the site on or before June of this year, 2025.
“So, what we’re doing now is dividing it into phases. The first phase will commence on or before June 2025. And let me repeat what the first phase entails. Basement level one, basement level two, ground floor, first floor, and second floor. And all external work. We will finish all the perimeter work and the aesthetic parts of this building,” he said.
Also speaking, the National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Prof. Chinwe Veronica Anunobi, reaffirmed the commitment of the current government to completion of the project.
She expressed the commitment of the National Library towards providing necessary support to both the contractor and the ministry, especially in the areas of paperwork.
“We will be doing the push to the ministry, we will be doing the push to the consultant, to the contractor, to make sure that the timelines given by the Honourable Minister are actualised,” she said.
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