First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Tuesday said the National Library fund had raised ₦20.4 billion since it was launched last Thursday, September 18, 2025.
“So far we have raised N20.4bn since this fund launched last week, and more are still coming,” the First Lady told journalists at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
Ahead of her 65th birthday on Sunday, September 21, Mrs Tinubu announced plans to raise funds for the completion of the country’s long-delayed National Library.
She urged well-wishers to donate to the fund instead of sending her gifts or paying for newspaper advertisements to mark the day.
In a statement she signed on Thursday, Tinubu said she would spend her birthday “dedicated to God for all His blessings in my life and having a quiet birthday,” while appealing for contributions to an account tagged the “Oluremi@65 Education Fund,” coordinated by the Ministry of Education.
“I wish to appeal to those who would like to send a birthday card, cakes, flowers, greetings in the newspapers, or gifts should please send the funds to the designated account for a special project close to my heart… The completion of the National Library,” she said.
“This will be the best birthday present I have ever received. My love for education has informed my decision to dedicate my birthday to this worthy cause,” Mrs Tinubu added.
First mooted in 1981, the National Library headquarters project in Abuja has been under construction since 2006, when it was awarded for ₦8.59 billion and expected to be completed in less than two years.
However, costs ballooned and progress slowed. By 2023, the physical completion rate stood at about 44 per cent, with estimates ranging from ₦49.6 billion to more than ₦120 billion required to finish the 12-storey complex.
The site, located between the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja, has long been considered a symbol of stalled infrastructure.
Successive administrations have pledged to deliver the project, and in 2025, the Federal Government directed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund to take over funding and resume construction.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa said in April that work would restart by June 1, following site assessments.
The Nigerian Library Association renewed its call in September 2025 for urgent completion, arguing that the facility is critical to education, research, and cultural preservation.
Mrs Tinubu, a former senator and First Lady of Lagos State, has often tied her advocacy to education, women’s empowerment, and youth development.
The PUNCH
