Oluremi Tinubu Revives Hope for Stalled National Library Project
Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has announced that the National Library fund has already attracted N20.4 billion in donations within its first week, reviving hope for the completion of one of the country’s longest-delayed public infrastructure projects.
Speaking at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, Mrs. Tinubu disclosed the amount raised since the initiative launched on September 18, 2025. The project, tied to her 65th birthday celebration, aims to mobilize resources to finish the long-abandoned National Library headquarters building in Abuja.
“So far, we have raised N20.4 billion since this fund launched last week and more are still coming,” she told journalists, expressing gratitude to donors while urging more Nigerians and institutions to support the drive.
In the week leading to her birthday, the First Lady appealed to well-wishers to channel their goodwill away from cakes, gifts, and costly newspaper adverts into the “Oluremi\@65 Education Fund,” coordinated by the Ministry of Education. She described the initiative as her “best birthday present” and reaffirmed her lifelong passion for education.
A Landmark Stuck in Time
The National Library project has been a recurring reminder of Nigeria’s challenges with infrastructure delivery. First proposed in 1981, the project was not awarded until 2006 at a cost of N8.59 billion, with a two-year completion timeline. Nearly two decades later, the 12-storey structure located between the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre remains incomplete.
By 2023, progress had stalled at roughly 44 percent, with completion estimates ballooning to between N49.6 billion and N120 billion depending on updated designs and inflationary pressures. Successive administrations have pledged to complete the facility but funding gaps and bureaucratic delays consistently frustrated progress.
In April this year, the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, directed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to resume work on the site. Education Minister of State, Dr. Tunji Alausa, added that construction would restart by June following technical assessments. Yet, as of September, visible progress remained limited, prompting the Nigerian Library Association to renew calls for urgent completion.
Why the National Library Matters
For many scholars, teachers, and students, the project is not just about finishing a building—it represents Nigeria’s commitment to knowledge, research, and cultural preservation. The National Library is meant to be the country’s repository of legal deposits, housing every book, journal, and periodical published in Nigeria, alongside rare collections, manuscripts, and international works.
Currently, the institution operates from temporary facilities spread across Abuja, which experts argue undermines its ability to serve as a hub for learning and innovation. “A national library is to a country what a memory bank is to a person,” said one educationist. “Without it, our intellectual capital is scattered and vulnerable.”
The Nigerian Library Association has repeatedly warned that failure to complete the complex risks further marginalizing research and learning in the country.
Oluremi Tinubu’s Personal Touch
Mrs. Tinubu’s decision to tie her birthday to this cause adds moral weight to the project. A former senator and one-time First Lady of Lagos State, she has consistently positioned education, women’s empowerment, and youth development at the heart of her advocacy.
Her choice to forgo elaborate celebrations in favor of mobilizing resources for education sends a symbolic message about national priorities. It also introduces a new model of philanthropy-driven public infrastructure funding at a time when government finances are stretched by competing demands.
Can N20bn Move the Needle?
While N20.4 billion is a significant sum, it may cover only a fraction of what is required to finish the library, given inflation and cost escalations. However, the fundraising success could generate momentum by signaling public-private willingness to step in where government efforts have stalled.
The broader challenge remains whether the federal government, TETFund, and private donors can coordinate effectively to translate pledges into visible construction progress. Transparency in fund management will be critical in sustaining confidence, particularly given Nigeria’s history of abandoned projects and mistrust over public spending.
A Test of Political Will
The National Library project has become a litmus test for how Nigeria treats its intellectual and cultural infrastructure. Completing it would not only salvage a landmark building but also restore faith in the country’s ability to finish what it starts.
With Mrs. Tinubu’s intervention, pressure is mounting on the government to ensure that this renewed momentum is not wasted. For now, the N20.4 billion raised has provided a glimmer of hope that Nigeria’s long wait for a functional National Library might finally be nearing an end.
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