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The federal government has been urged to complete the long-abandoned National Library of Nigeria headquarters in Abuja, which has remained unfinished for over two decades.
Chairman of the 2025 Nigerian Library Association (NLA) Annual Dinner and Awards Night, Akogun (Amb.) Lanre Adesuyi made the call during the association’s annual dinner and investiture ceremony held in Abuja.
Adesuyi described the stalled project as a national embarrassment and a symbol of neglect, warning that no country aspiring to innovation and global relevance should undermine its knowledge infrastructure.
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“How can we truly speak of innovation, global competitiveness, and national pride when our own National Library-the apex library of the nation-remains unfinished?” he asked.
“Completing this project will restore dignity to our national heritage and reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to education, research, and innovation in the 21st century,” he added.
He, however, commended the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, for renewed efforts to revive the project and urged the government to act in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The event, themed “The Library, the Librarian and Society in the Age of Innovation: The Challenge of Relevance,” also featured the investiture of Dr. Lawal Umar as the new NLA President.
In his remarks, outgoing President Dr. Dominic Omokaro reflected on the association’s growth and the evolving role of librarians in a tech-driven world.
“We are in the age of AI. We don’t want technology to take over our responsibilities. That is why we’ve designed programmes to upskill and reskill our members so they remain relevant in this era,” Omokaro said.
Adesuyi further stressed that “innovation without knowledge is empty, and knowledge without preservation is fleeting,” urging librarians to remain indispensable in building the Nigeria of their dreams.
Source: DailyTrust | Read the Full Story…
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