The Federal Government has ordered the consultant and contractor handling the multi-billion Nara National Library project to mobilize to the site and ensure completion of the abandoned edifice within 21 months.
Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, gave the directive on Tuesday in Abuja when he inspected the project to which the contract was awarded and work commenced about 17 years ago.
Mamman insisted that the project must be delivered by 2025 for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to commission.
He noted that what is required is the will and that the consultant, contractor, Ministry, and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) that is expected to fund the project should all be committed towards early completion of the project even before the targeted date of 2025 or at most early part of 2025, stressing that the contractor has the remaining part of this year and 2024 to work.
Nigerian Tribune, however, gathered that most of the materials and equipment that would be used for the completion of the project would come from Spain, and as such, it would take about six months to arrive in Nigeria from the day of commitment.
The contract for the construction of the National Library headquarters located on Plot 35 of the Central Business District, Abuja, was awarded to Messrs Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) on 11th March 2006 at the cost of N8.590billion.
The project was expected to be completed within three to four years.
It was also gathered that the project, at its current abandoned stage, had gulped about N11 billion, and due to inflation and cost of materials, the contract has been reviewed several times.
This was reviewed in March 2010, and the cost of completion of the project rose to N17 billion to be completed in 21 months. It further rose to N49 billion when it was eventually abandoned since the last administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
While the project is about 44.60 per cent completion, the RCC estimated cost for completion of the project is over 120 billion.
The scope of work is the construction of a structure of eleven (11) floors, consisting of two basement floors, a ground floor, and eight upper floors, as well as a perimeter fence, gates/gatehouses, internal roads, and other external works.
However, the Minister insisted that TETFund should be ready for disbursement while the project cost would be reviewed because of inflation and the high cost of materials needed for the completion of the edifice.
Mamman said: “This project is too important because it is in the capital of Nigeria, and for it not to be completed for almost 20 years is unfortunate. We are talking of a National Library.
“The decision is that we have a president who does not tolerate sloppiness and uncompleted projects anywhere. He is determined to deliver on what will bring progress and development to this country.
“The National Library is one of the major edifices anywhere in the world. So, our mandate is that after discussion with the contractor, consultant, and everybody here, the President will commission this national monument in the next 20 to 21 months. Everybody must buckle up, make all the necessary compromises, and come back to the site, and next time we come, we will see huge progress.
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