The Federal Government on Monday approved the takeover of the financing of the National Library Project by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

We had on June 20, 2021 reported exclusively that the project which was awarded in 2006 with an initial completion period of four years had been abandoned for lack of funds.

The Ministry of Education had said it would need N50bn to complete the project.

However, the Director of Press, Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, in a statement on Monday said the Federal Government had approved the funding of the through TETFund.

The statement was titled, ‘TETFund to takeover National Library Project.’

It reads partly, “The Federal Government has approved the takeover of the financing of the National Library project by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.  Over N50bn is needed to complete the project.

“Speaking today (Monday) in Abuja when the Nigerian Library Association led by its President, Prof Innocent Ekoga, paid a working visit to the ministry, the Permanent Secretary, Sonny Echono, said the critical step being taken by government is to reposition library services in the Nigerian education sector for effective service delivery.

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“Echono recalled that work on the National Library has been stalled for years due to inadequate funding, adding that efforts to get the private sector to complete the project have not yielded results.”