The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Federal Government to urgently assume responsibility for completing the long-abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja.
In a statement on Wednesday, ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, insisted that such a national monument must never be left in the hands of private charity.
The reaction followed recent remarks by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who revealed her intention to contribute toward the library’s completion as part of her birthday celebrations.
While appreciating her gesture, the ADC stressed that the National Library is far too important to be reduced to a personal goodwill project.
The party emphasized that the library, created by an Act of Parliament in 1964, remains the custodian of Nigeria’s intellectual heritage and collective memory.
According to the ADC, its completion and long-term management should only be guaranteed through transparent, predictable, and sustainable national funding, not voluntary donations.
The full statement read: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) acknowledges and appreciates the thoughtful gesture of The First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, in drawing attention to the abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja as part of her birthday celebrations.
“However, as a responsible party, we must firmly state that the National Library of Nigeria cannot, and must not, be reduced to the status of a personal pet project of any individual, no matter how well-intentioned.
“The National Library is a living repository of our collective memory and intellectual heritage. It is the custodian of Nigeria’s story, culture, research, and knowledge production. It is not just another building. It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1964, as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure that future generations have access to the wealth of knowledge needed to build a progressive and enlightened society. Therefore, for sustainability purposes, the library and its projects must be funded through national budgetary provisions.
“Now that Mrs. Tinubu has shown interest in the National Library, what is required is not personal charity, but presidential attention. The First Lady should use her influence to impress upon President Tinubu the urgency of completing this project through budgetary allocations. From what we know, the responsibility for its funding was at some point shifted to TETFUND. This explains why there were no direct budgetary allocations for the library in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
“But let us be clear: the National Library of Nigeria is far too important to be treated as an afterthought or left to depend on the goodwill of well-meaning individuals. A nation’s intellectual heritage cannot rest on acts of benevolence, while being deliberately neglected in the appropriation process.
“We thank Mrs. Tinubu for her concern and for drawing attention to this long-neglected project.
“However, with all due respect, ‘No ma!’”
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