{"id":10253,"date":"2026-11-05T17:17:16","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T17:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/05\/after-12-years-of-abandonment-fg-targets-24-month-completion-of-national-library-businessday-ng\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T17:17:16","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T17:17:16","slug":"after-12-years-of-abandonment-fg-targets-24-month-completion-of-national-library-businessday-ng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/05\/after-12-years-of-abandonment-fg-targets-24-month-completion-of-national-library-businessday-ng\/","title":{"rendered":"After 12 years of abandonment, FG targets 24-month completion of National Library – Businessday NG"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2026FG promises prompt payments to contractors as construction resumes<\/strong><\/em>\n<\/p>\n

The Federal Government has set a 24-month target for completing the National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja, nearly 12 years after construction activities were abandoned, while promising prompt payments to contractors to prevent further delays.\n<\/p>\n

Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, gave the assurance during a familiarisation visit to the project site on Wednesday, ahead of the formal flag-off of the return to site by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, scheduled for November 19.\n<\/p>\n

Alausa said contractors had fully mobilised to site and commenced construction activities, expressing confidence that the project would be completed within the stipulated 24-month timeline.\n<\/p>\n

He assured contractors that the Federal Ministry of Education would establish efficient payment processes to ensure uninterrupted construction, warning that delays in processing payments and other administrative bottlenecks must be brought to his attention.<\/p>\n

Read also:\u00a0N36bn Millennium Tower exposes Nigeria\u2019s costly culture of abandoned projects<\/a><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOur 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.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have put processes in place on how the contractor will request additional payment. I am going to speak publicly to all contractors and consultants today. If there are delays in processing, I need to know. I want to be bothered because this is a commitment to the Nigerian people,\u201d he said\n<\/p>\n

In a statement signed by Ikharo Attah, special adviser on media and communications to the minister, Alausa attributed the renewed momentum on the project to President Bola Tinubu\u2019s intervention, saying the President had directed the mobilisation of funding and the return of contractors to site.\n<\/p>\n

He described the completion of the National Library as a priority of the administration, noting that the President recognised education as a foundation for national development.<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu knows exactly what this country needs. He knows that education is the bedrock of any egalitarian society. If any society must develop, it must educate its citizens. That is why this President has placed so much emphasis on education and given us all the support we need,\u201d Alausa said.\n<\/p>\n

The minister also commended the First Lady for her sustained advocacy and personal commitment to the project, saying her intervention had contributed to securing additional funding and advancing plans for a modern National Library.\n<\/p>\n

He said the First Lady\u2019s vision extended beyond establishing a national repository of knowledge to creating an inclusive cultural and educational facility accessible to children, persons with disabilities and other members of the public.\n<\/p>\n

According to him, the proposed facility will include specialised spaces for children and persons with visual and hearing impairments.\n<\/p>\n

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The National Library project commenced in 2006 with an initial completion timeline of two years. It was substantially completed in 2008 before construction activities were abandoned in 2014, leaving the project dormant for nearly 12 years.\n<\/p>\n

Alausa expressed concern over the prolonged abandonment, given the institution\u2019s importance to Nigeria\u2019s educational, cultural and archival development.\n<\/p>\n

He, however, commended Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) for maintaining the site, securing the facility and preserving existing infrastructure throughout the period of inactivity, which he said had enabled construction to resume without significant setbacks.\n<\/p>\n

The minister also acknowledged the contributions of the acting permanent secretary, Olatunji David; the chief executive officer of the National Library of Nigeria; the ministry\u2019s management team, consultants and other stakeholders in preparing for the return to site.\n<\/p>\n

He said the Federal Government had continued to explore international best practices, including lessons from the Qatar National Library, to improve the quality and functionality of the project.<\/p>\n

Upon completion, Alausa said the National Library would serve as a major cultural and educational centre, hosting international conferences, attracting tourists and providing access to Nigeria\u2019s historical archives and cultural heritage.\n<\/p>\n

He urged the management of the National Library to ensure that the facility became an active centre of learning and knowledge, with sustained activities to encourage public engagement.\n<\/p>\n

Speaking during the visit, Nader Yusuf, managing director of RCC, reaffirmed the company\u2019s commitment to delivering the project within 18 months.\n<\/p>\n

Read also: NDDC officials inspect 600m bridge project in Bayelsa<\/a><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

Yusuf said the company had maintained the site, provided adequate security and prevented encroachment throughout the period of inactivity. He assured the minister that RCC would comply with government directives and deliver the project in line with the Federal Government\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n

The contractor\u2019s 18-month delivery commitment differs from the 24-month completion target stated by the minister.\n<\/p>\n

Alausa reiterated the government\u2019s determination to complete the project within the agreed timeframe, urging contractors, consultants and other stakeholders to work collaboratively and adhere to established standards.\n<\/p>\n

The scale of abandoned infrastructure projects in Nigeria has remained a concern. The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors estimated in August 2021 that the country had about 56,000 abandoned projects valued at N12 trillion.<\/p>\n

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Businessday NG<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2026FG promises prompt payments to contractors as construction resumes The Federal Government has set a 24-month target for completing the National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja, nearly 12 years… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10254,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}