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

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has confirmed the federal government’s approval of ₦118.309 billion for the finalization of construction activities on the National Library of Nigeria Headquarters Building Complex in Abuja.

Naija News reports that the government also approved approximately ₦37 billion for its furnishing, bringing the total spending for both the completion and furnishing of the long-neglected project to around ₦155 billion.

Addressing State House reporters regarding the results of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja, Alausa noted that the approval was in response to President Bola Tinubu‘s instruction to ensure that legally cleared and unobstructed funds belonging to the citizens of Nigeria are utilized for priority national development initiatives, especially in the education sector.

He said the President had mandated the Attorney-General of the Federation to work with the Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Education to examine the legal framework surrounding the proposed utilization of funds from the Unclaimed Capital Market/Unclaimed Dividend Trust Fund and the Dormant Account Trust Fund.

“Every single fund that is still subject to a legal challenge will not be part of the money that will be transferred to the fund,” the Minister clarified.

The minister clarified that only funds that have received legal clearance and are free of any encumbrances would be taken into account, stressing that these funds must rightfully belong to Nigeria and its citizens.

He stated that this decision was motivated by the need to invest in education and ensure a secure future for Nigeria’s children.

“We need to educate our children. We need to move this fund to use it, and using this fund to educate our children, you can never get a better use for this fund than to educate our children,” Alausa said.

The Minister stated that the National Library project, which began in April 2006 and was initially expected to be completed within two years, has been inactive for several years since work ceased in October 2008.

He noted that upon assuming office in 2023, President Tinubu instructed the Ministry of Education to seek funding alternatives for the completion of this national structure.

Alausa also recognized the efforts of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who, according to him, raised approximately ₦25 billion for the project by directing that gifts received during her birthday celebration be allocated towards the completion of the National Library.

He mentioned that the recent approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC), along with funds gathered from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other sources, would facilitate the resumption of work on the project.

The minister conveyed his hope that construction would restart in the coming months.

Regarding reports that certain tertiary institutions were withholding funds belonging to students, Alausa indicated that the Federal Government has implemented new frameworks and timelines to avert such occurrences.

He said institutions were now required to return funds to students within one week of receiving confirmation that government had made the relevant payments.

The Minister acknowledged that such problems had occurred in the past but maintained that the government had taken steps to address them.

Responding to a specific case involving Abia State University, in which a reported payment-related mix-up had allegedly persisted for more than six months, Alausa requested details of the case and promised to investigate.

Alausa, however, maintained that the situation was no longer a systemic problem, insisting that the government had put mechanisms in place to prevent a recurrence.

He explained that the broader funding initiatives approved by the FEC were part of the Tinubu administration’s effort to strengthen the education sector, improve access to tertiary education, and ensure that available national resources were channeled into investments that could transform the lives of Nigerian children.