Speaking at an interactive session with State House Correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, wife of the President Oluremi Tinubu refuted allegations on Tuesday that her 65th birthday anniversary fundraiser is linked to her husband’s 2027 reelection campaign.
She also disclosed that the fund, which is for the construction of a new National Library complex, has raised over N20.4 billion in donations since it was first announced last Thursday.
“This is not the first time I have raised funds for causes close to my heart,” she said, reflecting on her past fundraising milestones and highlighting her unwavering commitment to nation-building through philanthropy.
For her 45th birthday, she raised N50 million to complete the National Sickle Cell Foundation Centre, which is now fully operational, and for her 50th birthday, she raised N200 million for the New Era Foundation.
In a post titled “We Are Finished” on X, Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, stated that Nigeria does not need to wait for birthday presents before finishing its National Library. Obi wrote, “We are finished! I join millions of Nigerians in wishing Her Excellency, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, a happy birthday. May God Almighty, who has been with her all these years, grant her many more healthy, fruitful, and happy years.
” The First Lady cleared up any misunderstandings regarding any political motivations behind the fundraising, highlighting the significance of group efforts for the country’s development.
Mrs. Tinubu echoed President John F. Kennedy, saying, “What is wrong with drawing attention to areas of need and inclusion? Helping to rebuild does not have a political undertone—it’s our duty as citizens to contribute meaningfully to society.
I even donated to the post-war rebuilding of schools in Liberia.” She also said that the biblical exhortation in Isaiah 58:6 has inspired her lifelong commitment to serving the nation. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. This should guide our actions.”
In order to collect further donations from willing Nigerians, Mrs. Tinubu said that the birthday account will be active until December 2025.
She insisted that her role was to help drive the finances and said that the Chief Librarian of the Federation and the Minister of Education are the signatories to the account.
On Sunday, September 21, Mrs Tinubu celebrated her 65th birthday by announcing intentions to raise money to finish the nation’s long-delayed National Library.
Instead of giving her presents and purchasing newspaper ads to commemorate the days, she asked well-wishers to make donations to the fund.
The First Lady requested donations to an account called the “Oluremi@65 Education Fund,” which is run by the Ministry of Education, and added that she would spend her birthday “dedicated to God for all His blessings in my life and having a quiet birthday” in a statement she signed last Thursday.
“I would like to request that everyone who wants to send a birthday card, cakes, flowers, newspaper wishes, or gifts give the money to the designated account for a particular project that is very dear to my heart. “The National Library’s completion,” she stated.
“This will be the most amazing birthday gift I’ve ever received.” I decided to donate my birthday to this deserving cause because I adore education,” Mrs. Tinubu continued.
The National Library headquarters project in Abuja was first proposed in 1981 and has been in progress since 2006. It was given N8.59 billion in 2006 and is anticipated to be completed in less than two years.
But progress lagged and expenditures skyrocketed. The physical completion rate was approximately 44% by 2023, and the estimated cost to complete the 11-story structure ranged from N49.6 billion to over N120 billion.
The location, which is situated in Abuja between the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre, has long been seen as a representation of an infrastructural project that has delayed.
The Federal Government instructed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund to take over funding and resume building in 2025 after several administrations promised to complete the project.
After site surveys, Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, stated in April that work will resume by June 1. In September 2025, the Nigerian Library Association reiterated its demand for the facility’s immediate completion, citing its importance for research, education, and cultural preservation.
As the former senator and First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Tinubu has frequently linked her support for youth development, women’s empowerment, and education.
President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and his spouse, former President General Buhari, a number of former first ladies, the Senate President and his spouse, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his spouse, members of the National Assembly, the Governors Forum and Security Chiefs and their spouses, business magnates like Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Arthur Eze, Tony Elumelu, and Jim Ovia, as well as innumerable well-wishers were among the many people she acknowledged.
