Jane Salihu
The Federal Government has moved to end the prolonged delay in completing the National Library of Nigeria project, with the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, warning contractors and consultants that continued failure to meet agreed targets will attract sanctions.
Alausa issued the warning in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting on the National Library project involving contractors, consultants and officials of the National Library of Nigeria, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, dated September 6, 2026.
The minister said the Federal Government was prepared to provide the funding required to push the project to completion, but insisted that financial commitment would henceforth be matched by measurable performance, quality and accountability.
“This is a change day. We will make you accountable for the timelines we’re going to set for ourselves,” Alausa told the stakeholders.
He said reasonable delivery timelines would be established and incorporated into the contractual arrangements, with contractors and consultants expected to meet the commitments agreed for the project.
“If you’re not meeting your guidelines, the timelines, I’m sorry, you’ll be penalised,” he warned.
According to the statement, the minister said the government would introduce appropriate incentives and disincentives into the new arrangements to ensure that the project does not remain indefinitely under construction.
As part of the renewed strategy, Alausa disclosed that the project had been divided into two major components—physical infrastructure and furnishing—to enable both aspects to progress simultaneously and accelerate completion.
He assured contractors that government would make funds available, but stressed that access to funding would come with firm expectations on delivery, quality and adherence to agreed standards.
The minister described the National Library as more than an unfinished building, saying the facility represents an important national investment in learning, research, knowledge development and human capital formation.
He recalled that the National Library was conceived in 1981, while construction began in 2006 with an initial 24-month completion timeline. The project, originally expected to be completed in 2008, has remained unfinished for years.
Alausa said the prolonged delay was particularly significant given the library’s strategic location in Abuja’s Central Business District, alongside other major national landmarks.
He attributed the renewed push for completion to the priority being given to education and human capital development by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, while commending the President for providing the political support needed to advance the project.
The minister also praised the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her contribution to efforts to complete the National Library, recalling that she used her 2025 birthday to mobilise about N25 billion in support for the project within two months.
He said the First Lady’s intervention demonstrated her commitment to education and the development of facilities that would benefit future generations of Nigerians.
Beyond completing the existing structure, Alausa said the Federal Government was pursuing a broader vision of transforming the facility into a modern national institution benchmarked against leading libraries around the world.
He disclosed that the First Lady’s visit to the National Library of Qatar had helped shape the new vision for the Nigerian facility, with Nigerian officials and project stakeholders subsequently studying the Qatar library’s facilities and furnishing standards.
“We’ll have a National Library that looks like National Library of Qatar,” Alausa said.
The minister said the proposed facility would prioritise accessibility and inclusion, with dedicated spaces and appropriate facilities for children, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, girls and boys.
He added that modern and ergonomic furniture would also form part of the new vision, stressing that relevant officials and contractors had visited the Qatar National Library to examine its facilities and standards.
Alausa said the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, would maintain close oversight of the project and ensure that all stakeholders remained accountable for their respective responsibilities.
He reaffirmed that the government would not compromise on quality, standards or value for money, insisting that every naira invested in the project must result in a functional national asset that Nigerians can use and be proud of.
The minister’s renewed directive effectively places the long-delayed National Library project under a performance-driven framework, with the government seeking to shift the focus from continued construction to measurable delivery of a modern, inclusive and world-class national knowledge centre.
