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By Oscar Okhifo
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has raised ₦20.45 billion to complete the long-abandoned National Library project in Abuja, a move that has drawn both praises and criticisms from eminent Nigerians.
Marking her 65th birthday on September 18, Mrs. Tinubu launched the “Oluremi@65 Education Fund” in place of a lavish celebration, urging friends, associates, and corporate bodies to donate towards reviving the stalled library. Within days, contributions swelled to ₦20,456,188,924.93, with more pledges expected before the fund closes in December 2025.
In her remarks, the First Lady expressed heartfelt gratitude to those who supported her vision, singling out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife Nana, former First Ladies, National Assembly leaders, several state governors, and traditional rulers.
She also hailed business moguls such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Tony Elumelu and Dr. Jim Ovia, alongside ex-militant leader Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), for what she described as “sacrificial giving” toward a project that belongs to all Nigerians.
She pledged that the names of every donor, large and small, would be published in national newspapers “for the sake of transparency and accountability.”
However, the fundraising drive has not escaped criticism. Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, while appreciating Mrs. Tinubu’s goodwill, wondered aloud why a national project had been reduced to the First Lady’s pet project, describing the intervention as further evidence of “governance failure.”
Similarly, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cautioned the First Lady against turning a federal institution into a personal initiative, arguing that the completion of the National Library should have been a straightforward government responsibility.
Responding to such criticisms, Mrs. Tinubu insisted her actions were guided strictly by patriotism and her passion for education, not politics.
“My only desire is to see Nigeria’s knowledge repository completed for the sake of future generations,” she said, stressing that her intervention was born out of love for learning and not tailored to politics.
The National Library headquarters project , conceived in 1981 and awarded in 2006, has languished in abandonment for nearly two decades.
Despite heavy public spending, the structure remains incomplete, a testament to Nigeria’s culture of waste.
While the ₦20.45 billion haul provides fresh hope of finishing the library, it also leaves behind uncomfortable questions: if Nigerians can raise billions in days for a birthday appeal, why has their government failed to deliver on one of its most important cultural and educational institutions for almost 20 years?