The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has faulted the plan by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu to mobilise birthday donations for the completion of the National Library of Nigeria, insisting that the project should be fully funded by the Federal Government and not left to private benevolence.
The reaction followed a viral video in which the First Lady announced that she would dedicate her forthcoming 65th birthday to raising funds for the long-stalled library headquarters project in Abuja.
“I will be turning 65 on the 21st of September, 2025, which happens to be a Sunday. I have decided to dedicate the day to God for His blessings in my life,” Mrs. Tinubu said in the video. “I wish to appeal to those who would want to send me cards, cakes, or flowers to instead channel their support to a special project close to my heart – the completion of the National Library. This fund is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Education under the Oluremi@65 Education Fund.”
But in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said while the First Lady’s gesture was commendable, the National Library was too critical to be treated as a personal cause.
“The National Library is a living archive of our culture, research, and intellectual heritage. It was created by law in 1964 as a national institution, not a private initiative. For sustainability, its funding must come through the national budget and not through donations,” the statement read.
The party stressed that the completion of the library cannot be tied to charity drives, warning that Nigeria’s intellectual foundation must not be “subject to goodwill.”
“It is not just another building. It is the custodian of Nigeria’s collective memory and knowledge production. Such a vital institution cannot and must not be reduced to a birthday wish or treated as a pet project,” the ADC added.
Construction of the library headquarters began in 2006 but has suffered repeated delays due to inadequate funding and shifting government priorities. Despite promises by successive administrations, the project remains incomplete nearly two decades later.
In recent years, the responsibility for financing was reportedly shifted to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), a move that removed direct allocations from the federal budget for 2024 and 2025.
The ADC described this arrangement as “unsustainable,” arguing that it undermines the institution’s role in preserving national knowledge.
“Now that Mrs. Tinubu has drawn public attention to the project, what is needed is not philanthropy but executive action. We urge her to use her influence to secure presidential commitment and ensure adequate budgetary provisions for the library’s completion,” the party said.
The statement concluded with a reminder that “a nation’s intellectual heritage cannot depend on occasional benevolence but requires deliberate and consistent investment.”
