Peter Obi criticises National Library appeal by Oluremi Tinubu, saying education should not rely on charity while government spends lavishly elsewhere
Peter Obi denounces National Library appeal made by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, calling it a troubling reflection of Nigeria’s leadership priorities.
Also read: Daniel Bwala slams Peter Obi over ‘fake philanthropy
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, the former Labour Party presidential candidate said the First Lady’s request for birthday well-wishers to donate toward completing the National Library in Abuja, though “noble and selfless on the surface,” underscored deeper failures of governance.
“I join millions of Nigerians in wishing Her Excellency, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, a happy birthday,” Obi began.
“However, I was struck by irony reading her request: that instead of cakes or newspaper adverts, well-wishers should donate toward completing the National Library in Abuja.”
The Peter Obi criticises National Library appeal message went further, describing it as a symbol of national neglect.
Obi expressed disbelief that in a country where billions are regularly spent on “jets, yachts, unused mansions, endless trips abroad, and other frivolities,” something as fundamental as a national library still stands unfinished.
“It is shocking,” he wrote, “that the government cannot prioritise the very temple of knowledge.
What kind of leaders waste trillions on luxury and vanity, while the National Library—our intellectual furnace—remains abandoned in the capital?”
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, has long positioned himself as a champion of education and responsible governance.
He argued that serious nations treat libraries as sacred spaces essential to intellectual and national development.
“This is not about politics,” Obi added.
“It’s about our values. Until we recognise that classrooms and libraries matter more than convoys and ceremonies, the dream of progress will remain distant.”
He concluded with a stark warning: “If Nigeria will rise, it will not be on the wings of jets or the splendour of mansions, but on the strength of minds formed in classrooms and nourished in libraries.”
Also read: Peter Obi urges unity, calls for national love
His comments have since sparked widespread debate online, with many echoing his sentiment that charity appeals for core public infrastructure are an indictment, not a celebration.
