FG approves N32bn for completion of national library headquarters in Abuja

The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved N32.4 billion for the completion of the national library headquarters in Abuja.

The national library has been under construction since 2006, with the project gulping billions of naira.

The minister of state for education, Goodluck Opia, made the disclosure on Wednesday while speaking with the journalists at the presidential villa after the FEC meeting.

He said the ministry presented a memo for approval for the revised estimated total cost of the contract.

“The scope of work for this project includes the construction of a concrete structure consisting of 11 floors, eight upper floors for housing bookstore and two basement floors, locker rooms, bindery, restaurants, clinic, creches changing rooms, exhibition hall, printing press, auditorium, general reference areas, legal deposits, cataloguing, office for the administration book stacks, electronic data processing centre, reading areas, library research and training centre, gates and gatehouses, public convenience and underground car pack furnishing as well as perimeter fencing, electrical and mechanical services, internal roads and other external works,” he said.

On his part, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed that FEC also approved N1.398 billion for the completion of the second phase of the Uto bridge in Delta state.

“The contract was awarded in 2006 but is yet to be completed,” he said, adding that the federal government was committed to finishing the project before the administration winds up.

“This is an old project which we are committed to completing.

“I think the project was awarded in 2006. So N1.398 billion was approved to revise the contract from N4.435 billion to N5.835 billion, inclusive of 7.5% VAT to ensure that we are able to complete this project before leaving office,” he said