By Felix Khanoba
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has unveiled plans to remodel the long-delayed National Library of Nigeria to reflect the standard of the world-class National Library of Qatar, while ordering contractors and consultants to meet a fresh completion timeline or face sanctions.
Alausa disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting on the National Library project, where he warned that the era of allowing the national edifice to remain indefinitely under construction was over.
A statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, on Sunday, said Alausa stated that the government was prepared to provide the funds required to complete the project but would demand accountability, quality and adherence to agreed timelines from the contractors and consultants.
The minister said the Federal Government would establish reasonable delivery targets under new contractual arrangements, with incentives and disincentives designed to ensure that the project was delivered as agreed.
According to him, the procurement process had also been divided into two major components — physical infrastructure and furnishing — to allow both aspects of the project to proceed simultaneously.
“We have the physical infrastructure and the furnishing component. We’ll go to another company to do that. Everything will work in parallel pursuit,” he said.
The AUTHORITY reports that the National Library project was conceived in 1981, while construction commenced in 2006 with an initial completion period of 24 months. It was therefore expected to be completed in 2008 but remained unfinished for years.
Alausa lamented that the prolonged abandonment of the library project reflected the low priority previously accorded education infrastructure by successive administrations.
He noted that the National Library occupies a strategic position in Abuja’s Central Business District, alongside two other major national edifices — the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre — both of which were completed decades ago.
“National Library, that should be a facilitator of our education system, where our human capital is built. The bedrock of our society remains abandoned. That tells a story of the emphasis that previous governments have put on education,” he said.
The minister, however, said the situation had changed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with education now occupying a central position in the Federal Government’s development agenda.
“Education is now part of front and center of our national development. President Bola Tinubu has prioritized education like no other president has ever done in the history of this country,” he said.
Alausa also credited President Tinubu with introducing innovative financing arrangements and providing dedicated funding to drive the completion of the National Library.
He praised the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her contribution to the project, recalling that she used her 2025 birthday to mobilise financial support for the library.
According to him, the First Lady raised about N25 billion within two months after asking well-wishers and other Nigerians to support the National Library instead of giving her conventional birthday gifts.
“In just two months, Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu raised about 25 billion naira to support the Nation. This is what love, patriotism, and full dedication to humanity is all about,” he said.
The minister said the First Lady’s visit to the National Library of Qatar in Doha also influenced the Federal Government’s decision to rethink the design and functionality of Nigeria’s National Library.
He explained that after seeing the state-of-the-art Qatari facility, the First Lady encouraged Nigerian officials and project stakeholders to study its features and adopt relevant modern standards for the Nigerian project.
Alausa said the exercise involved visits by the management of the National Library and some contractors to Qatar to examine the facility, including its furniture and other features.
“We’ll have a National Library that looks like National Library of Qatar,” he said.
He stressed that the objective was not merely to complete the long-abandoned structure but to create a modern institution capable of meeting the needs of Nigerians and competing with leading libraries globally.
The redesigned facility, he said, would pay particular attention to accessibility and inclusion, with dedicated spaces and appropriate facilities for children, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, girls and boys.
The minister also said modern ergonomic furniture would be incorporated into the facility, following assessments carried out at the Qatar National Library.
Alausa said the Ministry of Education, working with the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, would maintain close supervision of the project to ensure that every stakeholder delivered on their responsibilities.
He assured contractors that government funding would be made available but insisted that the availability of funds would come with strict performance expectations.
“And let me talk to the contractors here. This is a change day. We will make you accountable for the timelines we’re going to set for ourselves,” he said.
“This is not an era that this project will go on forever again. We will set the timeline within reasonable times, and we will make you, contractor, and the consultant accountable. Because on the side of the government, we will make your funds available to you,” he said.
Alausa further said the government would not compromise on quality, standards or value for money, stressing that public funds committed to the project must result in a facility Nigerians could use and take pride in.
He also thanked the management of the National Library and other stakeholders for their contributions, while urging the contractors and consultants to respond to the government’s renewed commitment with urgency and professionalism.
The minister said the drive to complete the National Library formed part of President Tinubu’s broader emphasis on education and human capital development.
He added that the ultimate objective was to provide Nigerian children with access to educational infrastructure and opportunities that could match global standards.
“The mandate you’ve given to myself and the Minister of State for Education, which is every single child in this country to get the highest quality of education that is comparable to anywhere in the world,” Alausa said.
