Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has expressed optimism that the forthcoming National Library of Nigeria will become a symbol of national pride and a hub for knowledge, culture, and digital learning once completed.
She made the remark during her visit to the Qatar National Library (QNL) in Doha on Saturday, as part of her official engagements in the Gulf nation.
Senator Tinubu said Nigeria intends to draw inspiration and best practices from Qatar’s model in designing and operating a modern, digitized library system that will serve as both a knowledge center and a repository of the nation’s history.
“When our National Library is fully built and equipped, it will reflect Nigeria’s commitment to education, innovation, and the preservation of our cultural heritage,” the First Lady stated. “We must document our rich history for posterity so that the youth can always have a point of reference to know more about their nation.”
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She described the Qatar National Library home to over two million books and 500,000 e-books as a world-class facility that embodies its motto, “Free Access to Knowledge.” Tinubu commended Qatar for investing heavily in knowledge infrastructure, saying the library stands as “a monument of learning and culture.”
The First Lady’s visit to the library marks her first official engagement in Doha, ahead of a scheduled meeting with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development.
Her discussions with the Foundation, she said, will focus on partnerships to tackle the challenges of out-of-school children and improve Almajiri education in Nigeria.
Senator Tinubu reiterated her commitment to advancing educational opportunities for Nigerian youth through international collaboration and the strengthening of national institutions.
The Qatar National Library, located in Education City, serves as a global model for innovation in library services, blending traditional book collections with advanced digital archives and community learning spaces features Nigeria hopes to replicate in its own national library project.