Remi Tinubu Denies Political Motives Behind N20 Billion National Library Fundraiser

Remi Tinubu Denies Political Motives Behind N20 Billion National Library Fundraiser

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady, has denied allegations that her 65th birthday fundraising campaign for completing the National Library is politically motivated.

Speaking through her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, she said her initiative is inspired by the significant role libraries played in her life as a teacher.

She asked, “What is wrong with doing good or striving to build our country? If I could support Liberia’s post-war rebuilding by donating a school there, why is it wrong to highlight urgent needs in Nigeria?”

Oluremi Tinubu noted that this is not her first fundraising effort: for her 45th birthday, she raised ₦50 million to finish the National Sickle Cell Foundation Centre, and for her 50th, she raised ₦200 million for the New Era Foundation and other charities.

She believes Nigerians can collectively raise the funds needed to complete the National Library, describing the project as a national treasure for future generations.

She clarified that the fundraising account, which has already received ₦20.7 billion, will remain open until December 2025 and is managed by the government through the Ministry of Education and National Library, with the Minister of Education and the Chief Librarian as signatories. Her role is solely to mobilize support.

Quoting the Lebanese writer Gebran Kalil Gebran, she encouraged patriotic action over political ambition, saying, “If we take our baby steps well, things will start to improve for our country. We all must rise and contribute to nation-building; a grain of sand and a drop of water make a mighty ocean.