National Library: Alausa warns contractors against delays, substandard work, says missing deadline’ll attract sanctions
By Uji A, Iliyasu
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has warned contractors and consultants handling the National Library of Nigeria project to meet delivery timelines and maintain quality standards, cautioning that failure to hit agreed targets will attract sanctions.
Alausa gave the warning at a meeting in Abuja with stakeholders in the project, including contractors, consultants and officials of the National Library of Nigeria. He said the Federal Government was ready to provide the necessary funding but would demand commensurate performance and accountability 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 stakeholders, adding that anyone who failed to meet the new guidelines would be penalised.
The minister said the government would set reasonable delivery timelines and hold contractors and consultants to commitments contained in agreements currently being developed for the project, stressing that the era of allowing the National Library to remain indefinitely under construction must end. He disclosed that the new contractual arrangements would include incentives and disincentives to drive performance.
To speed up completion, Alausa said the project had been split into two major components — physical infrastructure and furnishing — to allow both to proceed concurrently. He assured contractors that government funding would come with strict expectations on delivery and adherence to agreed standards.
The renewed push comes amid President Bola Tinubu’s prioritisation of education and human capital development as drivers of national transformation. Alausa described the library as more than a physical structure, calling it a critical national institution for learning, research and knowledge development.
He recalled that the library was conceived in 1981, with construction starting in 2006 under an initial 24-month timeline. Despite an original 2008 completion target, the project has remained unfinished for years. It sits in Abuja’s Central Business District alongside other major national buildings, including the National Mosque and the National Economic Centre, both completed earlier.
Alausa credited President Tinubu with strong political commitment to education, including increased attention to the sector and innovative financing arrangements to complete projects such as the library.
He also commended First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a former teacher, for her personal commitment to the project, recalling that she used her 2025 birthday to mobilise support for the library, raising about N25 billion within two months.
He further disclosed that the First Lady’s visit to the National Library of Qatar had shaped the Federal Government’s vision for the Nigerian facility, after she called on officials and stakeholders to study the Qatari library and adopt relevant modern features.
“We’ll have a National Library that looks like National Library of Qatar,” Alausa said, adding that the goal was not simply to complete the abandoned structure but to deliver a modern institution serving Nigerians to global standards.
He said the renewed design would prioritise accessibility and inclusion, with dedicated spaces for children, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, girls and boys, alongside modern, ergonomic furniture, with officials and contractors having already visited Qatar’s library to study its facilities.
Alausa commended the National Library’s management and other stakeholders for their contributions, and charged contractors and consultants to match the government’s renewed commitment with urgency and professionalism. He said the Ministry, working with Minister of State for Education Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, would maintain close oversight of the project.
The minister reaffirmed that the government would not compromise on quality or value for money, stressing that every naira committed must translate into a facility Nigerians can use and be proud of.