“So far, we have raised ₦20.4bn since this fund launched last week, and more are still coming,” Mrs Tinubu

Photo File: Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has announced that the fundraising initiative for the long-delayed National Library project has so far attracted ₦20.4 billion within days of its launch.

“So far, we have raised ₦20.4bn since this fund launched last week, and more are still coming,” Mrs Tinubu told State House journalists on Tuesday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The fund was unveiled on Thursday, September 18, 2025, as part of activities ahead of her 65th birthday. The First Lady urged well-wishers to donate to the “Oluremi@65 Education Fund” instead of sending gifts, cakes, or newspaper adverts. “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,” she said.

Tracing her motivation, Mrs Tinubu recalled her years on the Senate Committee on Education, where she observed that the National Library was “not on the table” under Nigeria’s envelope budget system. She also noted her history of philanthropy, including raising ₦50m on her 44th birthday and ₦200m at 50 to support projects tackling poverty and sickle cell disease, as well as assisting schools in Liberia.

Quoting from the book of Isaiah 58:6, the First Lady said her vision for Nigeria was to see a country that attracts people from all over the world. “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 added.

The National Library headquarters project in Abuja was first conceived in 1981 but has been mired in delays since its award in 2006 for ₦8.59bn. Despite an expected completion timeline of two years, progress stalled, and by 2023, only 44 per cent of the 12-storey complex had been completed, with estimated costs rising to between ₦49.6bn and ₦120bn.

First mooted in 1981, the National Library headquarters project in Abuja has been under construction since 2006, when it was awarded for N8.59bn 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 N49.6bn to more than N120bn 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 Lagos First Lady and Senator, has consistently tied her advocacy to education, women’s empowerment, and youth development. She said the current fundraising marks another step in her lifelong commitment to advancing learning in Nigeria.