Di wife of Nigeria President, Remi Tinubu, say she don get more dan 20 billion naira ($13million) in less dan 24 hours wey she announce say she wan do fundraising to complete di National Library for Abuja.

For one press release for her X handle, di First Lady tok say she open di donation on Tuesday 23 September 2025 and by Wednesday, di money don reach N20.7 billion.

Madam Tinubu 65th birthday na on 21 September and she tok say she wan mark di celebration by trying to complete di National Library wey don dey under construction since almost two decades ago.

Dis announcement by di First Lady don cause mixed reactions from Nigerians. Some pipo dey commend her for choosing to tackle dis project wey don linger for long, while odas dey feel say e no be di job of di first lady to take up a national project wey dey ongoing, for her personal capacity.

So hia na wetin you need to know about di ongoing national conversation:

History of di National Library project

Di idea for a National Library Building project bin first come up in 2002 wen President Olusegun Obasanjo bin dey in power.

In 2006, record show say di Federal Government award di project to Reynolds Constructions Company (RCC) for di price of N8.59 billion, and di completion time na 22 months, according Gbenga Ashafa, one Senator from Lagos State, during one senate session in October 2017.

For dat senate plenary session of 31 October 2017, di Senate bin mandate dia Committee on Education to meet wit di Minister of Education, di Minister of di Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and di National Librarian to make plan about how to complete di project. Dat na about eight years ago.

As e be now, di skeleton of di building project don dey about 50 per cent completed, di building structure don come up and e dey very noticeable just close to di National Mosque. E don dey like dat for several years.

Almost evri administration wey don dey in power for Nigeria since Obasanjo don tok one tin or about completing di National Library building, but all of di tok don prove to be washee.

In July 2014, president Goodluck Jonathan dat time inaugurate di governing board of di National Library, and part of dia work na about di building project, but e no get head.

For February of 2019, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, di Minister of Education dat time Adamu Adamu announce say goment don set aside 50 billion ($31 million) to start di project again and complete am.

Oga Adamu say na sake of exchange rate fluctuations and rising costs make di amount rise from di 18 billion naira wey di contractors bin review am in 2013. Still, no noticeable progress happen for di building.

April 2023, as di Buhari govment dey prepare to hand ova power, di Federal Executive Council (FEC) also approve 32.4 billion naira ($22 million) to complete di project.

Dem even give details about how di one of di floors go get book stacks, reading areas, data processing centre, auditorium, and oda facilities. E don pass two years now, but nothing don happen.

'No be politics make me take up dis project' - Mrs Tinubu

First Lady Tinubu, for her statement on Tuesday say no be political reasons make her to choose to take up di completion of di national library project.

"Wetin dey wrong in doing well or trying to build our kontri?... Dis no be just project but na national treasure wey go serve generations to come," she tok

"Dis no go be di first time wey I don raise funds for causes wey dey close to my heart."

Mrs Tinubu give examples of how she don build charity projects across Nigeria and even for Liberia afta di war for dat kontri.

"All of us gatz to rise up, play our parts for di building process. One grain of sand and one drop of water na im dey make mighty ocean," she tok.

Di First Lady say di donation account for di project go dey open until December dis year to give oda pipo opportunity to contribute, and she hope say di building go dey completed "within two years".

Commendation and criticism

Igwe Samuel Asadu, di chairman of Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, praise Mrs Tinubu for "her devotion to di service of humanity and di nation".

Asadu, di traditional ruler of Edem-Ani Ogwugwu community for Nsukka, Enugu State for di southeast region of Nigeria, bin give di first lady one ogbonge chieftaincy title wen she bin visit di state for June dis year.

E say Mrs Tinubu show "exemplary leadership" by telling her friends and well-wishers to convert her birthday gifts to donations for di National Library building.

For di oda hand, some opposition politicians say di move by di First Lady to complete a national project based on her personal capacity, show say all no dey well wit di leadership of di kontri.

Peter Obi, di Labour Party presidential candidate for di 2023 presidential election, give im opinion for one article wey e title 'We are finished'.

Obi say di idea of di first lady "dey noble and selfless", but na also indictment for di kontri.

"For our present circumstances, while dem fit easily find billions for jets, yachts, unused mansions, endless trips abroad, and oda frivolities, di nation must rely on birthday donations to complete dia own National Library," e tok.

"Which kain leaders dey waste trillions on luxury and vanity, while di National Library - our intellectual furnace - go remain abandoned for di capital?"

"Serious kontris dey treat libraries as sacred; but here we don reduce dem to afterthoughts, begging bowls, or birthday tokens."

Wia di National Library currently dey?

Di National Library Headquarters dey currently operate from one rented house wey also dey for di Central Business District of Abuja.

In 2016, di National Librarian dat time wey be Professor L. O Aina, tell di Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education say dey dey face challenges for dia rented building and di landlord don threaten to throw dem out.

"Di landlord don threaten to eject di organization by November wit all its unpleasant consequences. Di National Library currently owes N508 million in rent," oga Aina tok dat time according to tori by local newspaper Daily Trust.

However, branches of di National Library dey also exists for several states across Nigeria.





Mrs Tinubu say libraries bin play a big role for for her formation and dat na why di National Library building project dey close to her heart.



Di National Library headquarters dey currently operate from dis rented building for Abuja