The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has firmly rejected a proposal by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to support the completion of the long-abandoned National Library of Nigeria through private charity, insisting it is the federal government’s responsibility to fund the national monument.
The party’s position was conveyed in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in response to the First Lady’s announcement that she intended to support the library’s completion as part of her birthday celebrations.
While acknowledging her gesture, the ADC stated 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 party emphasised that the institution, established by an Act of Parliament in 1964, is “the custodian of Nigeria’s collective memory and intellectual heritage” and argued that its completion and maintenance must be prioritised through national funding.
“Therefore, for sustainability purposes, the library and its projects must be funded through national budgetary provisions,” the statement read.
The ADC called on the First Lady to use her influence differently, stating, “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.”
The party expressed concern that the project had been neglected in recent national budgets, noting that “a nation’s intellectual heritage cannot rest on acts of benevolence, while being deliberately neglected in the appropriation process.”
The statement concludes: “We thank Mrs. Tinubu for her concern… However, with all due respect, ‘No ma!’”
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