President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to assume responsibility for funding and completing the National Library of Nigeria headquarters project in Abuja.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known on Wednesday, revealing that TETFund has already allocated part of its budget to restart construction.
The National Library project, initiated in 2006 and originally scheduled for completion in 2008, has suffered repeated delays.
Work stalled in 2012, leaving the structure abandoned for nearly two decades.
A previous attempt by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to transfer the project to TETFund failed.
However, Alausa assured Nigerians that construction will recommence on or before June 2025.
The former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had promised to complete the project by 2025, but work never resumed before his removal from office.
Initially, the project was estimated to cost ₦50 billion, but inflation has since pushed the completion cost into hundreds of billions.
During a visit to the site, Alausa reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring the project is completed, describing its prolonged abandonment as a “national embarrassment.”
“We had three national monuments planned for the Federal Capital Territory: the National Mosque, the National Ecumenical Centre, and the National Library. The mosque and ecumenical centre were completed decades ago, yet the National Library remains unfinished,” Alausa stated.
To guarantee steady progress, he outlined a phased completion plan, beginning with Basement Levels 1 & 2, the Ground Floor, First Floor, and Second Floor, along with perimeter and aesthetic works.
He stressed that funding has now been secured, with TETFund setting aside a dedicated budget for the project.
“We have spoken to the consultants and contractors, and they have a deadline to return to the site on or before June 2025,” Alausa assured.
Prof. Chinwe Veronica Anunobi, National Librarian and CEO of the National Library of Nigeria, also affirmed the government’s renewed commitment to the project.
“We will push the ministry, the consultants, and the contractors to ensure the minister’s timelines are met,” she stated.
