The Federal Government has set a 24-month deadline for the completion of the reconstruction of the National Library headquarters in Abuja, bringing renewed hope to a project that has remained unfinished for nearly two decades.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the timeline on Thursday during an inspection of the construction site, assuring Nigerians that the government would sustain funding and supervision to prevent further delays.
The project, initially awarded to Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) in 2006 at a cost of N8.59 billion, was originally scheduled for completion within two years.
However, funding constraints, contract variations and disagreements over the cost of completing the facility stalled construction for almost 20 years.
In August, the Federal Government approved an additional N118.309 billion for construction work and N37 billion for furnishing, bringing the total funding requirement to approximately N155 billion.
Alausa said the Ministry of Education had introduced measures to ensure that financial and administrative bottlenecks would not interrupt the project.
“Our own commitment at the Federal Ministry of Education is that work will not stop for one day until we get to the point where we commission this building,” he said.
He added that procedures had been established to facilitate contractors’ requests for additional payments, stressing that delays in processing such requests would receive his personal attention.
The minister attributed the renewed momentum to President Bola Tinubu’s directive to mobilise resources and ensure that construction activities resumed fully.
He described education as central to national development, saying the President had demonstrated commitment to the sector by providing the necessary support for critical infrastructure projects.
Alausa also commended the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for her advocacy and sustained interest in ensuring the completion of the National Library project, noting that her efforts contributed to securing additional funding.
Conceived in 1981, the National Library headquarters project commenced construction on April 29, 2006, under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Established in 1964, the National Library of Nigeria is the country’s apex library institution, responsible for collecting, preserving and providing access to the nation’s published intellectual heritage.
The completion of the Abuja headquarters is expected to provide improved infrastructure for the institution and strengthen its capacity to preserve Nigeria’s documentary and cultural heritage.