NIGERIA’S First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, recently stirred the Hornet’s nest when she urged well-wishers to donate funds for the completion of the long-abandoned National Library in Abuja, saying such donations would be the most valuable gift as she turns 65 later this month.
Speaking in a video posted by her spokesperson, Bukola Kukoyi, and retweeted by the first’ lady account, Tinubu appealed to lovers to forgo trendy ‘money flower’ birthday gifts and instead channel their resources into an ‘Education Fund’ that will be used to renovate the National Library headquarters.
The former lawmaker turned 65 on September 21, 2025.
She said: “I wish to appeal that 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 among many others.
“The completion of the National Library would be the best birthday present I could receive. My love for education has informed my decision to dedicate my birthday to this worthy cause,” she added.
But the request drew widespread criticism, with many questioning why individuals should be asked to fund a national institution that is constitutionally the responsibility of the federal government.
They also argued that the appeal showed the federal government’s failure to adequately budget for the library’s completion despite repeated promises.
Although the Federal Executive Council in April 2023 approved ₦32.4 billion for the project, no significant progress has been recorded since. The ICIR checks on government spending related to the National Library through websites that details government spending such as Govspend and Nocopo, shows that there has not been budget allocations or payment made for that purpose since 2023.
Between 2023 and 2025, budgetary allocations for the National Library have mostly gone to personnel cost, salary and recurrent expenses such as power supply.
For instance in 2024, over N5 billion was budgeted for the National Library with about N2.8 billion earmarked for the personnel cost, salary and allowances.
Some capital projects listed include, purchase of furniture, acquisition of non-tangible materials, and purchase of computers, while no fresh capital allocation for the renovation has appeared since 2023.
A project long trapped in limbo
For more than a decade, the National Library of Nigeria has operated from rented offices in Abuja while its permanent headquarters, first awarded in 2006, remains incomplete despite billions of naira already allocated.
The NLN Headquarters, conceived as Nigeria’s flagship repository of knowledge, has been under construction since 2006. The contract, initially awarded for N8 billion, was reviewed to ₦18 billion by 2013 before work was abandoned due to poor funding.
The major headquarters located close to the Abuja National Mosque has been abandoned which in turn resulted in the agency moving to another building in Central Business District, Abuja.
In 2019, then Minister of Education Adamu Adamu announced that N50 billion had been set aside to restart the project, citing exchange rate fluctuations and rising costs as reasons for the sharp increase. Despite the allocation, little progress was made.
Four years later, in April 2023, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved another N32.4 billion for the project’s “completion,” with detailed plans unveiled for the 11-floor building to house book stacks, reading areas, a data processing centre, an auditorium, and other facilities. Yet, over a year into the Tinubu administration, the site remains abandoned.
Federal ministry of education presented a memo for approval for the revised estimated total cost of the contract for the completion of the construction of the National Library of Nigeria headquarters building complex in Abuja. The revised estimated cost is N32.4 billion,” he was quoted to have said.
‘Library on quit notice’
Meanwhile, a source at the National Library told The ICIR that the institution had been served a quit notice by the owner of its rented apartment.
He stated that the agency was owing the owner rent arrears, which may have led to the building being sold to another person.
According to him, efforts are underway to vacate the premises to avoid any embarrassment.
When The ICIR reached out to the Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations of the Library, Orvell Dio, he said he was not aware of the ‘quit notice’ but promised to get back on the current situation.
“I am not aware of that (quit notice), if you hold on, I will ask the relevant office. Something like that would have gone to the legal department. I can find out and let you know,” he said.
When The ICIR reached out again about two hours later, he stressed that he had still not been able to confirm, as he was on an official assignment in Katsina.
Criticism trail First Lady’s birthday request
Following the public announcement, many Nigerians argued that the government’s failure to complete the project, coupled with fresh calls for public donations, reflected a lack of commitment to better Nigeria.
They described the appeal as ‘laughable,’ and questioned the rationale behind the call for donation.
A x user, Luz Tak wrote “I don’t understand. Is Nigeria broke? Your husband just promised USD 100,000 each to Super Falcons and D Tigresses. Why should Nigerians donate towards the NATIONAL library even if they have the money? Whose responsibility is it please?”
Awele also wrote “Listening to the president’s wife soliciting for funds under whatever guise is deeply embarrassing, to put it mildly.”
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M