Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has announced that her 65th birthday fundraiser has so far raised an impressive ₦20.7 billion towards the long-delayed completion of the National Library of Nigeria.

 

Speaking during a media luncheon at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Senator Tinubu emphasized that the initiative was driven by her passion for education, not politics, and that the Oluremi@65 Education Fund will remain open for contributions until December 2025.

 

“This is not just a project but a national treasure that will serve generations to come,” she said. “I have played my part in this project, and believe Nigerians can raise the funds needed to complete the library.”

 

Quoting Lebanese philosopher Gibran Khalil Gibran, the First Lady called on Nigerians to rise beyond self-interest and become active participants in nation-building:

 

“Are you a politician, asking what your country can do for you or a zealous one, asking what you can do for your country? If you are the first, then you are a parasite, if the second, then you are an oasis in a desert.”

 

“We all have to rise up, play our parts in the building process. A grain of sand and a drop of water makes a mighty ocean.”

Senator Tinubu firmly dismissed suggestions that the initiative was politically driven, pointing to her past philanthropic efforts as a teacher and public servant.

 

“What is wrong in doing well or trying to build our country?” she asked. “If I could assist the post-war rebuilding process in Liberia by donating a school, why can’t I help highlight our own areas of need?”

 

She also cited previous personal fundraisers for public good, including:

• ₦50 million for the National Sickle Cell Foundation at her 45th birthday

• ₦200 million for the New Era Foundation and other charities during her 50th

The First Lady disclosed that as of 2:00 PM on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the Education Fund had reached ₦20.4 billion, with more donations coming in. The fund, she reiterated, will remain open till the end of December 2025.

 

She emphasized transparency in fund management, revealing that the Minister of Education and the Chief Librarian of the Federation are the official signatories to the account — not herself.

The National Library of Nigeria project was first initiated in 1981, with construction spanning multiple administrations. Originally estimated at ₦8.2 billion, the cost ballooned to ₦23 billion by 2023, amid decades of underfunding and delays.

 

Now, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, there is renewed political will to see the project through. The First Lady assured that the government is ready to “take the bull by the horn” and deliver the long-overdue national asset within two years.

Senator Tinubu expressed gratitude to prominent donors and supporters, including:

• President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

• Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife

• Former President Muhammadu Buhari

• Several former First Ladies

• Senate President and his wife

• Speaker of the House of Representatives and his wife

• Governors’ Forum, governors’ spouses

• Security chiefs and their wives

• Top Nigerian business figures including Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Arthur Eze, Tony Elumelu, and Jim Ovia

 

With the birthday fundraiser gaining momentum and support from all corners of the nation, Senator Tinubu urged more Nigerians to contribute to a project she says is both symbolic and practical — a foundation for learning, national pride, and legacy.

 

“If we take our baby steps well-doing, before long, things will begin to shape up for our country,” she concluded.