National Library not pet project – ADC attacks Tinubu as wife announces planned support

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The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has warned that a national monument of this magnitude shouldn’t be left to private charity and has urged the Federal Government to take immediate responsibility for finishing the long-abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja.

The First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, recently declared that she would assist the construction of the library as part of her birthday celebrations, to which the party was responding.

Although the First Lady’s generosity was appreciated, ADC emphasized that the National Library cannot be viewed as a pet project.

According to the party, Nigeria’s collective memory and intellectual legacy are preserved by the National Library, which was founded by an Act of Parliament in 1964. In this sense, transparent, long-term, and consistent national funding—rather than kind donations—must be given priority for its construction and upkeep.

The statement reads, “The African Democratic Congress, ADC, acknowledges and appreciates the thoughtful gesture of the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, in drawing attention to the abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja as part of her birthday celebrations.

“However, as a responsible party, we must firmly state that the National Library of Nigeria cannot, and must not, be reduced to the status of a personal pet project of any individual, no matter how well-intentioned.

“The National Library is a living repository of our collective memory and intellectual heritage. It is the custodian of Nigeria’s story, culture, research, and knowledge production. It is not just another building. It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1964, as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure that future generations have access to the wealth of knowledge needed to build a progressive and enlightened society. Therefore, for sustainability purposes, the library and its projects must be funded through national budgetary provisions.

“Now that Mrs. Tinubu has shown interest in the National Library, what is required is not personal charity, but presidential attention. The First Lady should use her influence to impress upon President Tinubu the urgency of completing this project through budgetary allocations. From what we know, the responsibility for its funding was at some point shifted to TETFUND. This explains why there were no direct budgetary allocations for the library in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets.

“But let us be clear: the National Library of Nigeria is far too important to be treated as an afterthought or left to depend on the goodwill of well-meaning individuals. A nation’s intellectual heritage cannot rest on acts of benevolence, while being deliberately neglected in the appropriation process.

“We thank Mrs Tinubu for her concern and for drawing attention to this long-neglected project”.

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