The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has assured that construction work will resume at the National Library headquarters in June, this year.
There was suspension of work in 2012.
Addressing newsmen Wednesday at the project site, after being conducted round by a team of architects led by Architect Obioma Opoko, Alausa said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in a hurry to complete the project because of its significance as a national monument.
He said: “Let me just go back in history. We had three national monuments that were planned for the Federal Capital Territory. We have the National Mosque, the National Ecumenical Center and the National Library. Ironically, today, more than 40 years after, the National Mosque has been completed. The Ecumenical Center has also been completed. We’re still battling to complete the National Library.
“National Library is part of our human capital development. And as I’ve repeated over and over, today, we have the highest political will to move this project forward. President Tinubu believes so much in human capital development of our country. The president believes so much in the capabilities of our youth, the future of our youth.
“As I said, it was conceived, was designed in 1981 and construction started in 2006. It was initially meant to be completed in 2008. Work stopped at this site in 2012. So, if you count, that’s about 13 years ago, nothing has been done on this site.
“I chronicle those dates to point out the care, the attention President Tinubu places on the present times in our country and the future of our country. This president is developing every sector, every single sector of our economy like no other president has done before. We have to be committed for his innovative agenda to move our country forward.”
Also speaking, the National Librarian/ Chief Executive Officer of National Library of Nigeria, Prof. Chinwe Veronica Nwakaego Anunobi, said the project is very important as it houses important information for Nigerians that can be retrieved in 100 years to come.