The Federal Government has unveiled plans to transform Nigeria’s long-delayed National Library into a world-class facility modelled partly on the National Library of Qatar, even as it moves to impose fresh deadlines and sanctions on contractors and consultants handling the project. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa made the disclosure at the weekend in Abuja... The post FG Adopts Qatar Model For Nat’l Library, Sets Deadline, Threatens Contractors appeared first on New Telegraph .
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to transform Nigeria’s long-delayed National Library into a world-class facility modelled partly on the National Library of Qatar, even as it moves to impose fresh deadlines and sanctions on contractors and consultants handling the project.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa made the disclosure at the weekend in Abuja during a meeting with stakeholders involved in the project, where he warned that contractors who fail to meet agreed timelines or compromise quality standards would be penalised.
The minister said the government was prepared to provide the funding required to complete the facility but would no longer tolerate open-ended construction timelines, insisting that financial commitment must be matched by performance and accountability.
He said: “This is a change day. We will make you accountable for the timelines we’re going to set for ourselves.”
The development marks a renewed attempt by the Federal Government to end decades of delays surrounding the project, which was conceived in 1981 and commenced in 2006 with an initial 24-month completion period.
Despite the original 2008 completion target,
the National Library has remained unfinished, prompting the latest intervention by the Ministry of Education to establish fresh delivery timelines and tighten oversight of the project.
Alausa said the new contractual arrangements would contain incentives and disincentives to ensure that contractors and consultants delivered according to agreed targets.
“If you’re not meeting your guidelines, the timelines, I’m sorry, you’ll be penalised,” he warned.
Beyond completing the existing structure, however, the Federal Government is seeking to redefine what the National Library will offer Nigerians.
Alausa said the vision had been influenced by the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, following her visit to the National Library of Qatar and her push for Nigerian officials and project stakeholders to study the facility and incorporate relevant modern features into the Nigerian project.
The minister who stated that “We’ll have a National Library that looks like National Library of Qatar,” explained that the objective was not simply to finish an abandoned building but to create a modern national institution capable of meeting international standards and serving as a centre for learning, research and knowledge development.
The proposed facility is also expected to incorporate greater accessibility and inclusion, with dedicated spaces and appropriate facilities for children, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, girls and boys.
Alausa added that attention was being given to modern and ergonomic furniture, with relevant officials and contractors having visited the Qatar facility to study its furnishing and other features.
To speed up delivery, the government has also divided the project into two major components; physical infrastructure and furnishing, which will be pursued concurrently.
The minister assured contractors that government would make funds available, but said the release of funding would be accompanied by firm expectations on delivery, quality and value for money.
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 every stakeholder delivered on assigned responsibilities.
The renewed push has also received political and financial backing from the Presidency.
Alausa commended President Bola Tinubu for providing the political will and support required to move the project forward, saying the President had demonstrated a strong commitment to education and human capital development.
He also praised the First Lady for her intervention, recalling that she used her 2025 birthday to mobilise support for the National Library, raising about N25 billion within two months towards the project.
According to him, the intervention demonstrated her commitment to education and the future of Nigerian children.
The minister described the National Library as far more than a physical structure, stressing its importance to learning, research, knowledge development and the development of Nigeria’s human capital.
He noted that the facility occupies a prominent position in Abuja’s Central Business District alongside major national landmarks, including the National Mosque and the National Economic Centre.
Alausa said the government’s renewed approach reflected a determination to ensure that critical education infrastructure was completed to the standard Nigerians deserved.
He commended the management of the National Library of Nigeria, contractors and consultants for their contributions, but charged them to respond to the government’s renewed commitment with urgency and professionalism.
The minister further reaffirmed that quality and value for money would not be compromised, insisting that every naira committed to the project must translate into a facility Nigerians could use and be proud of.
