The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has warned contractors and consultants handling the National Library of Nigeria project that they would face sanctions for missing agreed deadlines, as the Federal Government moves to deliver a modern facility modelled partly on the National Library of Qatar.
Alausa gave the warning in Abuja on Sunday at a stakeholders’ meeting on the long-delayed project, saying the government would provide the necessary funding but would demand accountability, quality and timely delivery in return.
“This is a change day. We will make you accountable for the timelines we’re going to set for ourselves,” Alausa told the contractors and consultants.
He said the government would establish reasonable timelines and hold all parties to 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 said the project had also been divided into two components — physical infrastructure and furnishing — to allow both aspects to proceed concurrently.
“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 government’s renewed approach was aimed not only at completing the abandoned project, but at transforming it into a modern national institution comparable with leading libraries globally.
He disclosed 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.
He said the renewed design would prioritise accessibility and inclusion, with dedicated spaces for children, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, girls and boys.
The minister added that attention was being given to modern and ergonomic furniture, noting that officials and contractors had visited the Qatar facility to study its furnishing.
The National Library project was conceived in 1981, while construction commenced in 2006 with an initial 24-month completion period. It was expected to be completed in 2008 but remained unfinished for years.
Alausa described the library as a critical part of Nigeria’s education infrastructure and human capital development, saying its prolonged delay could no longer be tolerated.
“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.
He said the situation was changing under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which has placed education at the centre of national development.
“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.
The minister also commended the President and First Lady for their support for the project, recalling that the latter mobilised about N25 billion for the National Library during her 2025 birthday campaign.
Alausa said the Ministry of Education, working with the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, would maintain oversight of the project and ensure that contractors and consultants delivered according to the agreed timelines and standards.
He said the government’s commitment to funding would be matched by strict enforcement of accountability, quality and value for money.
