African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the federal government to immediately assume the responsibility of completing the centuries-old National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja and expressed that such a monument of national importance cannot be left at charity or goodwill gestures.
The party was reacting to recent comments by First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, whose birthday presents included the promise of backing the completion of the library. In commending her interest, the ADC made it clear that the project should not be made a personal pet project.
“The National Library is a living memory archive of our intellectual and memory culture. It is not just another building,” stated the party. “Established by an Act of Parliament in 1964, it is a repository of Nigeria’s history, culture, research, and knowledge production. Completion and sustainability must be guaranteed through transparent and predictable national funding, not largesse.”
The ADC noted that financial accountability for the project was previously shifted to TETFUND and that this explained why no direct budgetary provisions for the library had been made in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
It therefore appealed to Mrs. Tinubu to exercise her influence to demand from President Bola Tinubu the necessity of completing the project through federal budgetary provisions.
“With respect, the National Library is just too important to be considered an afterthought. The intellectual patrimony of a nation cannot remain suspended on acts of benevolence while being disregarded in appropriations,” the ADC further added.
