The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked the Federal Government to take full responsibility for completing the abandoned National Library of Nigeria project in Abuja.
The party said the project is too important to depend on private charity.
The ADC was reacting to recent comments by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady, who announced plans to support the library’s completion as part of her birthday celebrations.
In a statement on Wednesday, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC national publicity secretary, commended Tinubu’s concern but said the project should not be reduced to a personal pet project.
Part of the statement read: “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.”
The ADC urged Tinubu to use her influence to press the president to prioritise the project through direct allocations.
The party said the library was excluded from the 2024 and 2025 budgets because responsibility for its funding was shifted to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
“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,” the statement added.