Peter Obi Faults First Lady’s Call for Birthday Donations to Complete National LibraryFormer Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has taken a swipe at First Lady Oluremi Tinubu over her appeal for birthday well-wishers to contribute funds toward the completion of the National Library project in Abuja.Obi described the First Lady’s request as a sad reflection of misplaced priorities in the nation’s leadership, noting that a project of such national importance should never be reduced to a subject of charity or personal goodwill donations.
“The National Library is a critical institution for knowledge, research, and national development. For decades, it has remained abandoned despite repeated budgetary allocations. Asking Nigerians to fund it through birthday donations is a clear indictment of our governance system and the way public resources are managed,” Obi said.The former Anambra State governor stressed that Nigeria has consistently allocated trillions of naira to less pressing needs while neglecting vital infrastructure like the library. He added that the project’s abandonment highlights the failure of successive governments to deliver on essential responsibilities.Obi urged the federal government to prioritize education and knowledge-driven initiatives, warning that the nation’s future depends on investments in intellectual capital rather than frivolous expenditures.
The National Library, conceived in 1962 and under construction in Abuja since 2006, has faced numerous delays due to funding and contract issues, leaving it incomplete almost two decades later.