The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has said that the construction of the National Library building is not a charity project and should not be treated as such.
Construction work on the building, located in Abuja, has dragged through successive adminstartions, owing to funding gaps.
This must have prompted the First Lady, Mrs Remi Tinubu, urging Nigerians who may wish to present her with gifts on her 65th birthday, to channnel such donations to the National Library project.
But in a swift reaction, the ADC, in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, called on the Federal Government to urgently address funding gaps delaying the completion of the project.
While appreciating the First Lady’s gestures, the party said a national monument of such importance should not be left to private charity, or reduced to a personal pet project.
The ADC recalled that the National Library, which was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament, is the custodian of Nigeria’s collective memory and intellectual heritage.
The party argued that the completion and long-term maintenance of the library must be prioritised through transparent, sustainable and predictable national funding, and not through goodwill donations.
The statement said, “The ADC acknowledges and appreciates the thoughtful gesture of The First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, in drawing attention to the abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja as part of her birthday celebrations.
“However, as a responsible party, we must firmly state 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 National Library is a living repository of our collective memory and intellectual heritage. It is the custodian of Nigeria’s story, culture, research, and knowledge production. It is not just another building.
“It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1964, as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure that future generations have access to the wealth of knowledge needed to build a progressive and enlightened society.
“Therefore, for sustainability purposes, the library and its projects must be funded through national budgetary provisions.
“Now that Mrs. Tinubu has shown interest in the National Library, 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 noted that responsibility for the funding for the project, had been shifted to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), saying that was why there was no direct budgetary allocations for the library in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
The ADC insisted the National Library of Nigeria is far too important to be treated as an afterthought, or left to depend on the goodwill of well-meaning individuals.
“A nation’s intellectual heritage cannot rest on acts of benevolence, while being deliberately neglected in the appropriation process.
“We thank Mrs. Tinubu for her concern and for drawing attention to this long-neglected project. However, with all due respect, No ma!”
