The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Federal Government to take immediate responsibility for completing the abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja. The party’s call comes after First Lady Oluremi Tinubu announced plans to support the library’s completion as part of her birthday celebrations. While acknowledging the First Lady’s gesture, the ADC emphasized that the National Library, established by an Act of Parliament in 1964, is a national monument that should not rely on private charity.
The National Library serves as the custodian of Nigeria’s collective memory and intellectual heritage, making its completion and long-term maintenance a priority. The ADC stressed that transparent, sustainable, and predictable national funding is necessary to support the library, rather than goodwill donations. The party noted that the library’s importance extends beyond its physical structure, as it is a repository of the country’s story, culture, research, and knowledge production.
The ADC appreciated the First Lady’s attention to the abandoned project but emphasized that presidential attention is required to ensure the library’s completion. The party suggested that the First Lady use her influence to impress upon President Tinubu the urgency of allocating budgetary funds for the project. The ADC pointed out that the responsibility for funding the library was shifted to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), resulting in no direct budgetary allocations for the library in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
The ADC reiterated that the National Library of Nigeria is too important to be treated as an afterthought or reliant on individual benevolence. The party thanked the First Lady for drawing attention to the neglected project and emphasized the need for the Federal Government to prioritize the library’s completion through national budgetary provisions. By doing so, the government can ensure the long-term sustainability of the library and preserve Nigeria’s intellectual heritage for future generations.
