ADC Faults Oluremi Tinubu Over National Library Birthday Fund Drive

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s decision to use her 65th birthday celebration to raise funds for the completion of the long-abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the project is a critical national monument that should not be reduced to the goodwill of private individuals.

Mrs Tinubu had in a viral video appealed to well-wishers to donate funds in place of gifts, saying the money would go towards completing the library through the “Oluremi@65 Education Fund” coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Education.

But the ADC argued that Nigeria’s intellectual heritage cannot depend on charity. “The National Library is the custodian of our collective memory, research, and knowledge production. It cannot, and must not, be treated as a personal pet project of any individual, no matter how well-intentioned,” the party said.

While commending the First Lady for drawing attention to the project, the ADC maintained that the responsibility lies with the federal government. It urged her to use her influence to press President Bola Tinubu to allocate funds through the national budget instead of relying on philanthropy.

Construction of the National Library headquarters began in 2006 but has stalled repeatedly due to inadequate funding. The ADC described the diversion of funding to TETFUND and the absence of direct allocations in recent budgets as unsustainable, insisting that government commitment at the highest level is the only way to complete the project.

“The National Library of Nigeria is too important to be left to benevolence while being sidelined in the appropriation process,” the ADC said.