Front m Victor Osula, Abuja
Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has announced that more than N20.4 billion has so far been raised for the completion of the long-abandoned National Library project.
Speaking at a luncheon with State House Correspondents in Abuja, Mrs Tinubu said the funds were contributed through the “Oluremi @65 Fund,” which remains open until December.
She recalled that the National Library project, first initiated during the Shehu Shagari administration in 1981 and re-approved under President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006, had been stalled for decades due to inadequate budgetary provisions and the envelope system of funding.
With over N20 billion already secured, she described the initiative as proof of what Nigerians can achieve when united in the spirit of national service.
The First Lady said the library holds personal significance for her, noting that books played a pivotal role in shaping her childhood and her years as a teacher.
Quoting former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Mrs Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of service, stressing that “it doesn’t take much to do good.”
She expressed optimism that the 11-floor library could be completed within two years with sustained support, assuring that President Bola Tinubu is committed to reviving the project.
Mrs Tinubu also pledged that all donors will be publicly recognised, recalling her own contribution to the completion of the National Ecumenical Centre under Obasanjo’s administration — a gesture she still takes pride in.
