The wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday debunked claims that her 65th birthday anniversary fundraiser is tied to her husband’s 2027 re-election bid.
Mrs Tinubu also revealed that the fundraiser, which is for the construction of a new National Library complex, has received over ₦20.4 billion in donations since she first announced it last Thursday.
Speaking at an interactive session with State House Correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Mrs Tinubu said, “Let me at this point correct a notion moving around about this fundraising. It is not connected to anything political…So far, we have raised N20.4bn since this fund launched last week and more are still coming.”
She reflected on her previous fundraising milestones, underscoring her consistent dedication to nation-building through philanthropy, saying, “This is not the first time I have raised funds for causes close to my heart. For my 45th birthday, I raised N50m to complete the National Sickle Cell Foundation Centre, which has since become fully operational. For my 50th birthday, I raised N200m for the New Era Foundation.”
Her comments followed remarks by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, who argued that Nigeria does not need to wait for birthday gifts before completing its National Library.
In a post titled ‘We Are Finished’ on X, Obi wrote, “We are finished! I join millions of Nigerians in wishing Her Excellency, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, a happy birthday. May God Almighty, who has been with her all these years, grant her many more healthy, fruitful, and happy years.”
Addressing misconceptions about any political motives behind the fundraising, the First Lady emphasised the importance of collective action for national development.
“What is wrong with drawing attention to areas of need and inclusion? Helping to rebuild does not have a political undertone—it’s our duty as citizens to contribute meaningfully to society. I even donated to the post-war rebuilding of schools in Liberia,” she affirmed.
Echoing the words of President John F. Kennedy, Mrs Tinubu urged Nigerians to adopt a spirit of service.
“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. This should guide our actions. Like President Kennedy said, ‘Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of what divides us.’”
She added that the biblical exhortation in Isaiah 58:6 has inspired her lifelong commitment to serving the nation.
Mrs Tinubu announced that the birthday account will remain open till December 2025 to receive more donations from willing Nigerians.
She added that the signatories to the account are the Minister of Education and the Chief Librarian of the Federation, insisting hers was to help drive the funds.
Ahead of her 65th birthday on Sunday, September 21, Mrs Tinubu had 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 and paying for newspapers advertisements to mark the days.
In a statement she signed last Thursday, the First Lady said she would spend her birthday “dedicated to God for all His blessings in my life and having a quiet birthday,” and appealed 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 would ever receive. 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 finished in under 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 11-storey complex.
The site, located between the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja, has long been considered a symbol of a stalled infrastructure project.
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.
She acknowledged various contributors, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife, former President General Buhari, several former first ladies, Senate President and his wife, Speaker of the House of Representatives and his wife, and members of the National Assembly, governors forum and governors spouses, security chiefs and their wives, business moguls including Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Arthur Eze, Tony Elumelu, Jim Ovia among countless well-wishers.
The PUNCH
