The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has warned contractors and consultants handling the National Library of Nigeria project that they will face sanctions if they fail to meet agreed deadlines.
Alausa issued the warning on Sunday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ meeting on the long-delayed project, assuring contractors that the Federal Government would provide the necessary funding while demanding accountability, quality and timely delivery.
“This is a change day. We will make you accountable for the timelines we’re going to set for ourselves,” the minister told the contractors and consultants.
He said the government would establish realistic timelines and ensure that all parties fulfilled the commitments contained in their agreements.
“If you’re not meeting your guidelines, the timelines, I’m sorry, you’ll be penalised,” he warned.
Alausa disclosed that the project had been divided into two major components — physical infrastructure and furnishing — to enable both aspects to progress simultaneously.
“One thing we’ve also done is to split these two components of this procurement into two. We have the physical infrastructure and the furnishing component. Everything will work in parallel,” he said.
The minister said the renewed government strategy was aimed not only at completing the long-abandoned project but also at transforming the facility into a modern national institution comparable to leading libraries around the world.
He revealed that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had visited the National Library of Qatar in Doha and directed Nigerian officials and project stakeholders to study its facilities and incorporate relevant modern features into the Nigerian project.
“By the time we’re completing the National Library, we’ll have a National Library that looks like the National Library of Qatar,” Alausa said.
According to him, the redesigned facility would prioritise accessibility and inclusion, with dedicated spaces for children, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, girls and boys.
He added that modern and ergonomic furniture would also form part of the project, noting that Nigerian officials and contractors had visited the Qatar facility to study its furnishing and design.
The National Library project was conceived in 1981, while construction began in 2006 with an initial completion period of 24 months. The project was expected to be completed in 2008 but remained unfinished for years.
Alausa described the National Library as a critical component of Nigeria’s education infrastructure and human capital development, saying the prolonged delay was no longer acceptable.
“The National Library, which should be a facilitator of our education system, where our human capital is built, the bedrock of our society, remains abandoned,” he said.
The minister said the situation was now changing under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which he said had placed education at the centre of the country’s development agenda.
“Education is now part of the front and centre of our national development. President Bola Tinubu has prioritised education like no other president has ever done in the history of this country,” Alausa said.
Alausa also commended President Tinubu and the First Lady for their support for the project. He recalled that Senator Oluremi Tinubu mobilised about N25 billion for the National Library during her 2025 birthday campaign.
He said the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, would maintain close oversight of the project to ensure that contractors and consultants delivered according to agreed timelines and required standards.
The minister stressed that the government’s commitment to funding the project would be matched by strict enforcement of accountability, quality and value for money.
