Mammah, Anunobi, Omokaro, Adesewo Hail First Lady’s N25bn Library Project
By Matthew Eloyi
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has received wide commendations for her decision to channel over ₦25 billion raised from family, friends, and well-wishers during her 65th birthday celebration into the completion of the abandoned National Library complex in Abuja.
The gesture was hailed earlier today at the opening ceremony of the 5th National Conference on Reading and Annual General Meeting of the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria (NBRP), held in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the President of NBRP, Mr. Richard Mammah, said the intervention by the First Lady was both “timely and symbolic,” as it addressed one of the most visible gaps in Nigeria’s educational and intellectual infrastructure.
“I support any initiative to boost the reading culture and sundry efforts to advance and promote library development in our country, including that by the First Lady,” Mammah stated.
“The bigger significance of the First Lady’s initiative is that it joins with those of other advocates, including NBRP, to deepen the reading culture and provision of more libraries nationwide. As we told the Lagos State Government during our First Lagos Book Walk in April 2023, that state should have no less than 200 public libraries. Nationally, NBRP is pursuing our 774 Libraries and Book Clubs Project to ensure at least one functional library and book club in every local government. The First Lady’s intervention is unique, and must therefore not be a one-off. It should be a wake-up call for Nigeria to frontally confront its challenge of inadequate reading spaces.”
The National Librarian and CEO of the National Library of Nigeria, Professor Veronica Anunobi, also lauded the First Lady’s decision, describing it as “an act of national service that demonstrates rare vision.” She emphasized that libraries are not luxuries but necessities for national development. “This gesture will be remembered for a long time,” she said. “The First Lady could have used the money raised for a personal project, but she chose instead to dedicate her birthday gift to a national project that will benefit Nigerians. This is commendable. As the National Librarian, I am beyond excitement.
Similarly, Pastor Dr. Benedict Omokaro, immediate past President of the Nigerian Library Association, praised Mrs. Tinubu for “reawakening hope” around the long-abandoned project. According to him, the intervention has not only addressed a critical gap in infrastructure but has also restored confidence in the future of libraries as hubs for knowledge and innovation.
From the arts community, Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo, a theatre maker, journalist and President of Klub 98 Initiative, said the First Lady’s contribution signaled the need for broader stakeholder collaboration to sustain the reading culture.
“This is more than a donation; it is an invitation for us as a people to value knowledge again,” Adesewo remarked. “As artists, we know that every thriving culture stands on the shoulders of knowledge. The National Library is not just a building; it is a symbol of who we are and what we aspire to become.”
Stakeholders at the conference unanimously called for the project to be completed and maintained to world-class standards, insisting that its revival must translate into improved access to books, learning materials, and creative spaces for Nigerians across all ages.
As Nigeria awaits the rebirth of its long-stalled national library project, participants at the Reading Conference said Mrs. Tinubu’s intervention should spark a broader movement: one where government, civil society, and private actors work together to create a nation of readers.
