The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has disclosed that the Oluremi@65 Education Fund, established to commemorate her 65th birthday, has so far raised N20.7 billion to support the completion of the long delayed National Library project in Abuja.
Speaking during a media luncheon at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Senator Tinubu revealed that donations are still being received and that the fundraising account will remain open until December 2025.
As at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the fund had recorded N20.4 billion and counting. I am proud to say Nigerians are responding to this call to invest in knowledge and national heritage, she said.
In a statement issued by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Bukola Kukoyi, the First Lady emphasized that the initiative was not politically motivated, but rather a patriotic contribution inspired by her personal commitment to education and national development.
We did it for love. This is a love project. Libraries shaped me as a teacher and as a student. If we can come together for this, we can come together for more, she said.
The fundraising drive comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government to complete the National Library headquarters, a project that was initiated in 2006 with an initial contract sum of N8.59 billion. Nearly two decades later, the project remains incomplete. By 2023, only 44 per cent of the structure had been delivered, with revised estimates placing the cost of completion between N49.6 billion and over N120 billion.
On Tuesday, Senator Tinubu also dismissed claims that the fundraising initiative was connected to her husband’s potential reelection bid in 2027.
Her clarification follows criticism from former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, who had questioned the government’s reliance on private donations to complete such a significant national institution.
In her response, the First Lady pointed to her longstanding record of philanthropy, recalling previous fundraising efforts tied to personal milestones.
For my 45th birthday, I raised N50 million for the National Sickle Cell Foundation. On my 50th, I raised N200 million for the New Era Foundation. If I could contribute to post war rebuilding in Liberia by donating a school, what is wrong with drawing attention to urgent needs in our own country? she asked.
She also clarified that the Oluremi@65 Education Fund is being transparently managed, with the Minister of Education and the Chief Librarian of the Federation serving as joint signatories to the account. Her role, she said, is limited to public engagement and advocacy.
The National Library site, located between the National Mosque and the National Christian Centre in Abuja, has long been regarded as a symbol of Nigeria’s stalled infrastructure. In 2025, the Federal Government tasked the Tertiary Education Trust Fund TETFund with resuming work on the project.
Senator Tinubu expressed optimism that, with continued support from both the public and private sectors, the funds required to complete the library will be fully raised.
