By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved additional funding to complete and furnish the long-abandoned National Library of Nigeria headquarters in Abuja, ending nearly two decades of stalled construction.
Announcing the approval, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, credited President Bola Tinubu’s intervention for reviving the project, which began in April 2006 with a planned two-year completion timeline but stalled in October 2008 after successive administrations failed to fund it.
Dr. Alausa said Tinubu directed his ministry to source “real funds” for the project shortly after taking office, leading officials to tap the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for support. The Council’s approval formally augments the existing construction contract using these combined resources.
A significant portion of the funding — about ₦25 billion — came from an initiative by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who directed that gifts received during her birthday celebration be redirected to the library’s completion.
“Combined with the money we’ve sourced from TETFund, the Council today approved the augmentation of the existing contract for the completion of the construction of the National Library,” Alausa said, adding that he expects construction to fully resume in the coming months.
The minister described the facility as a planned national knowledge hub that will support research, scholarship and the preservation of Nigeria’s intellectual heritage, calling its completion a milestone for the education sector after 18 years of uncertainededuc
He thanked both the President and First Lady for their roles in reviving the project.
