How I Nearly Abandoned Presidential Library Project – Obasanjo

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed how he almost abandoned the construction of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library project.

According to him, he was encouraged to complete it through the persistence of late Prof Akinlawon Mabogunje.

Obasanjo disclosed this at the launch of the Prof. Akinlawon Ladipo Mabogunje Foundation and the second public lecture held in Mabogunje’s honour at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, the Ogun State, was inaugurated on March 4, 2017, as part of programmes to celebrate the 80th birthday of the former president.

The library is reputed to house over 42 million books, documents and archival materials, including the former president’s primary school uniform, shoes, military uniform, his first car and other personal belongings.

Obasanjo recalled how he nearly gave up on the presidential library project, which sits on 32 hectares and is valued at about $150m before its completion in 2017.

Obasanjo said, “When I thought a little unfortunately about the presidential library, at one location I went to him (Mabogunje) quietly and said, ‘Look, this library has become beyond what I expected.’ He asked what I wanted to do about it, and I said I wanted to stop it. He told me I dared not.”




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