FG Secures N25bn, TETFund Support to Complete Long-Abandoned National Library Project

The Federal Government has taken steps to revive and complete the National Library headquarters in Abuja, nearly two decades after construction work was abandoned.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced that funding for the project will come from a combination of resources, including about N25 billion generated from donations linked to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s birthday celebration and contributions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

According to the minister, the Federal Executive Council recently approved an increase in the existing contract to enable the completion and furnishing of the National Library complex.

The project, which began in 2006 and was expected to be completed within two years, was halted in 2008, leaving the structure unfinished for 18 years. Alausa said renewed government commitment has now provided the financial backing needed to restart work.

He explained that the administration sought alternative funding sources to ensure the project’s completion, with support from TETFund and other interventions helping to strengthen available resources.

The minister described the National Library as a critical institution for education, research, knowledge preservation, and access to information. He noted that completing the headquarters would enhance the library’s ability to fulfil its mandate as Nigeria’s foremost repository of intellectual and cultural heritage.

Alausa expressed confidence that construction activities would resume fully in the coming months, adding that the project represents a major investment in the country’s educational and knowledge infrastructure.

The National Library headquarters is expected to serve as a modern centre for scholarship, learning, and information services once completed, ending nearly two decades of stalled development.