Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticized the Nigerian government over the continued neglect of the National Library project in Abuja, describing the situation as “a national tragedy.”
In a statement on Sunday, Obi joined millions of Nigerians in celebrating the birthday of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. He commended her appeal that well-wishers should channel their goodwill into donations for the completion of the National Library instead of spending on cakes and newspaper adverts.
While hailing the gesture as noble and selfless, Obi said it exposed the deep irony and indictment of Nigeria’s priorities as a nation.
“What kind of country must beg for charity to build 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?” he asked.
Obi recalled that as governor of Anambra State, he had similarly urged supporters to divert advert money into providing computers and classroom blocks, but stressed that such gestures were meant to complement, not replace, government’s responsibilities.
He lamented that while funds are easily found for jets, yachts, foreign trips, and lavish lifestyles of the ruling elite, the nation’s education infrastructure, especially the National Library, has been left in decay.
“Mrs Tinubu was right: education is the most enduring legacy a nation can give its people. Yet to know this truth and still prioritise vanity is both shocking and tragic,” Obi stated.
The former governor concluded that Nigeria’s future depends not on luxury and waste but on investment in education, classrooms, and libraries, warning that without such priorities, “the lament remains true we are finished.”
