The National Assembly Library Trust Fund has been granted a take-off grant of N373 million by the House of Representatives.
This decision was made by the House following the unanimous adoption of a motion presented by Jonathan Gbefwi during the Tuesday plenary session.
The motion, titled “Urgent Need to Vire Funds from the 2022/2023 Appropriation Act to the National Assembly Library Trust Fund as Take-Off Grant,” called for the transfer of funds originally allocated to the National Assembly e-Library and the National Assembly Dashboard.
Gbefwi, in his motion, highlighted that the National Assembly Library Trust Fund was established under the National Assembly Library Trust Fund Act of 2022.
The purpose of the fund is to provide state-of-the-art library equipment and related facilities, offer training to legislators and National Assembly staff, and enhance research skills for effective lawmaking.
The motion also emphasized that the necessary arrangements for the functioning of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, including the constitution of the Board of Trustees and the appointment of an Executive Secretary, have been put in place.
Previously, the Appropriation Act for 2022/2023 had allocated N255 million to the National Assembly e-Library and N118 million to the National Assembly Dashboard. However, no allocation was made for the National Assembly Library Trust Fund.
Gbefwi expressed concern that delaying the transfer of funds from the e-Library and Dashboard budgets to the Trust Fund would hinder its smooth operation and impede the objectives outlined in the Act for the 2022/2023 financial year.