MORIBUND MULTI-BILLION NAIRA NATIONAL LIBRARY PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED IN 21 MONTHS – MINISTERΤ. 29-08-23.
By: Sadiq Aminu The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman has assured Nigerians that the National Library would be completed in 21 months as the nation’s depository.
Prof Mamman stated this on Tuesday when he led the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, and top officials of Federal Ministry of Education on an inspection visit to the project site located at the central area of Abuja.
He said that contractor in charge of the project would return to site in earnest to deliver the national edifice for the good of the citizenry.
“This project is too important for Nigerians and we have this project uncompleted for close to 20 years. We know the importance of a library not to talk about a national library.
“So, the decision is that we have a president who does not tolerate uncompleted projects anywhere. He is determined to deliver on what will bring progress and development and the national library is one of the major edifices anywhere in the world.
”So, the decision is that everyone involved must come back to the site,” he said.
When asked about the cost required to complete the project, the minister refused to comment on it, and said though there were issues surrounding the project that is being worked out as everyone involved would come together to review the cost.
“There are some issues here and there but the project will be completed in about 21 months.
”But we are urging them (The construction company) to deliver the project earlier because we’ve dragged it for too long and the project is too important for it to be dragged any further.
”So whatever obstacles in the project, we are determined to go over it and attend to it so it doesn’t become an obstacle,” he said.
the National Library, Prof. Chinwe Anunobi faulted the issues of bureaucratic bottleneck to have hindered the completion of the project since awarded in 2006.
She also assured that work would commence immediately saying xthat the monitoring would be followed by meetings of stakeholders involved in the project.