After nearly two decades of abandonment, the long-stalled National Library of Nigeria headquarters in Abuja is set for a fresh lease of life, with the Federal Government putting together about N25 billion from gifts received by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, alongside funding from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Sunday after the Federal Executive Council approved an increase in the existing contract for the completion and full furnishing of the massive project.
The project, which was launched on April 29, 2006, was originally expected to be completed within two years. However, construction ground to a halt in October 2008, leaving the complex abandoned for successive administrations.
Alausa said President Bola Tinubu ordered the ministry to find reliable funding sources to bring the project back to life, with TETFund identified as one of the major sources.
According to the minister, the First Lady also played a major role in the funding drive after directing that monetary gifts received during her birthday celebration be channelled into the National Library project.
He said the initiative generated approximately N25 billion, which was subsequently combined with funds sourced through TETFund and other efforts.
Alausa explained that the combined resources gave the government enough financial backing to seek the augmentation of the existing contract.
With FEC now approving the contract increase, the government expects work to resume and move towards completion.
The minister described the development as a major breakthrough for Nigeria’s education sector, stressing that the project was not simply about completing another abandoned government building.
He said the completed headquarters would serve as a major national hub for learning, research and scholarship, while providing a modern facility for preserving and accessing Nigeria’s intellectual heritage.
Alausa also commended President Tinubu for providing the political backing needed to revive the project, which has remained one of the country’s most conspicuous abandoned education infrastructure projects.
The National Library of Nigeria is the country’s apex library and is responsible for collecting, preserving and providing access to published materials that form part of Nigeria’s intellectual heritage.
Its proposed Abuja headquarters was designed as a major national knowledge centre. But with construction halted in 2008, the institution has operated for years without the completion of the purpose-built headquarters.
The latest FEC decision is expected to finally push the project towards completion and comprehensive furnishing, ending an 18-year wait for the long-abandoned National Library complex.
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