FG Approves ₦155bn To Complete, Furnish Abuja National Library

The Federal Government has approved about ₦155 billion for the completion and furnishing of the long-delayed National Library of Nigeria headquarters in Abuja.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to Ireporter Online, the FEC approved ₦118.309 billion for the completion of construction works on the National Library complex, while an additional ₦37 billion was approved for furnishing the facility.

Alausa explained that the funding would come from legally cleared portions of the Unclaimed Capital Market/Unclaimed Dividend Trust Fund and Dormant Account Trust Fund.

He stressed that only funds that are free from legal disputes or other encumbrances would be accessed for the project.

The minister said the decision followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to identify legitimate dormant and unclaimed funds that could be deployed to critical national development projects, particularly in the education sector.

According to him, the government considers investing the funds in education as one of the most beneficial ways of using the resources for the future of Nigerian children.

Alausa revealed that construction of the National Library headquarters began in April 2006 and was initially expected to be completed within two years. However, work reportedly stalled in October 2008, leaving the project unfinished for several years.

He said President Tinubu, upon assuming office in 2023, directed the Ministry of Education to explore alternative funding arrangements to complete the abandoned project.

The minister also acknowledged the contribution of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who he said helped raise about ₦25 billion for the project after directing that monetary gifts received during her birthday celebrations be channelled towards the National Library.

Alausa said the latest FEC approval, combined with contributions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other sources, would enable work to resume on the facility in the coming months.

He expressed optimism that the long-awaited project would eventually be completed and become a major national educational resource.

The minister also addressed concerns over delays by some tertiary institutions in disbursing government funds meant for students. He said new guidelines had been introduced requiring institutions to return such funds to beneficiaries within one week after receiving confirmation of payment.

Alausa acknowledged that payment-related challenges had occurred in the past but insisted that measures had now been put in place to prevent them from becoming a recurring problem.

He further promised to investigate a reported case involving Abia State University, where a payment issue was allegedly unresolved for several months.