First Lady 65th Birthday Wish: Oluremi Announces N20 Billion Raised For Abandoned National Library Project
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu has announced that over ₦20 billion has been raised to support the long-abandoned National Library of Nigeria project.
OTN News further reports that Mrs Tinubu speaking during a luncheon with State House correspondents on Tuesday as part of activities marking her 65th birthday, described the initiative as her personal legacy project for the nation.
She explained that instead of receiving birthday cakes, gifts, or newspaper advertisements, she appealed to Nigerians to contribute to the Oluremi @65 Education Fund, a platform set up to raise resources for completing the library project.
The First Lady disclosed that while the library was originally budgeted at ₦8 billion when it was initiated in 1981, the cost of completion has now soared to over ₦100 billion.
OTN News observes that while she dismissed claimed that her intervention was political motivated, she said, “I want to clear the air about some people saying it has a political undertone. What is wrong with doing well?”
Furthermore, Oluremi reflecting on her 12 years in the Senate, where she served as a member of the Committee on Education, she noted that her legislative experience and humble upbringing shaped her deep appreciation of libraries.
“From a humble background, the library played a role in my life. That’s why I thought this is a worthy cause,” she added.
Mrs Tinubu, however, stressed that education remains central to national development and pledged her continued commitment to projects that will benefit future generations.
With about ₦20 billion already raised, she said, the initiative is on course to ensure that the National Library, abandoned for decades, finally reaches completion.
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