ABUJA: Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday disclosed that the National Library Fund has already raised ₦20.4 billion barely a week after its official launch.
Speaking at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the First Lady noted that the fund launched on September 18, 2025, has continued to receive steady contributions from individuals and organisations across the country.
So far, we have raised ₦20.4bn since this fund launched last week, and more are still coming,” she told journalists.
Ahead of her 65th birthday on Sunday, September 21, Mrs Tinubu appealed to friends, supporters, and well-wishers to direct their goodwill towards the fund rather than sending her gifts or sponsoring newspaper adverts.
She explained that contributions should go into the “Oluremi@65 Education Fund,” coordinated by the Ministry of Education, to help complete Nigeria’s long-delayed National Library project.
In a personal statement, Mrs Tinubu said: I wish to appeal to those who would like to send a birthday card, cakes, flowers, greetings in the newspapers, or gifts, to please send the funds to the designated account for a special project close to my heart…
The completion of the National Library. This will be the best birthday present I have ever received.
The First Lady stressed that her passion for education informed her decision, adding that she chose to mark her birthday quietly, in gratitude to God, while focusing on a legacy project that would benefit generations of Nigerians.
The National Library headquarters project was first proposed in 1981 and formally awarded in 2006 for ₦8.59bn, with an initial two-year completion plan.
Nearly two decades later, the 12-storey complex located between the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja remains incomplete.
Costs have ballooned over the years, with estimates ranging between ₦49.6bn and ₦120bn to finish the building. As of 2023, only 44 per cent of construction had been completed.
In April 2025, the Federal Government directed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to take over financing and resume construction work.
The Education Minister, Dr Tunji Alausa, assured Nigerians that work would restart on June 1 after site assessments
The Nigerian Library Association (NLA) and other stakeholders have repeatedly called for the urgent completion of the project, describing it as crucial for education, research, and cultural preservation.
Mrs Tinubu, a former senator and one-time First Lady of Lagos State, has consistently championed initiatives in education, women’s empowerment, and youth development.
She noted that ensuring Nigeria finally has a befitting National Library would be a landmark achievement tied to her lifelong advocacy for literacy and learning.
