The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Federal Government to assume full responsibility for completing the long-abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja, warning that the national treasure must not be relegated to a personal, celebratory initiative.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, the party commended First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s intentions—she had appealed to Nigerians to make donations toward the library’s completion as her 65th birthday gift instead of hosting festivities.
However, the ADC argued that such a monumental project must not “be reduced to a personal pet project”, emphasising that the National Library is too important to be anchored on private goodwill.
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“The National Library is a living repository of our collective memory and intellectual heritage… It is the custodian of Nigeria’s story, culture, research, and knowledge production,” the statement read. Established by an Act of Parliament in 1964 as a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Education, the library’s projects “must be funded through national budgetary provisions” to ensure sustainability, the ADC asserted.
The party pointed out that the library’s exclusion from the 2024 and 2025 budgets resulted from its funding responsibility being redirected to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), stressing that “a nation’s intellectual heritage cannot rest on acts of benevolence while being deliberately neglected in the appropriation process.”
Background & Federal Response:
The National Library project in Abuja has indeed languished for nearly two decades since its inception:
Contracted in 2006 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, the 11‑storey complex—including two basement levels, multiple floors, and extensive facilities—was intended for completion within 22 months, but construction stalled by 2012.
The project’s cost has spiralled dramatically—from approximately ₦8.6 billion in 2006 to estimates ranging between ₦100 billion and ₦200 billion, largely due to inflation, contract variations, and delayed funding.
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In an apparent response, the Tinubu administration has recently revived efforts to resume construction:
In March 2025, the education minister, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced that work would recommence in June 2025, covering basement levels, the first three floors, and all external and aesthetic works, thanks to directive funding from TETFund.
Despite those commitments, by August 2025, the Non‑Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) lamented that no substantive work had yet been executed. They called on the federal government to accelerate delivery.
