Faith Maiyaki, a seven-year-old pupil in Primary 4 at Elpis Nursery/Primary School in Dutse, Jigawa State, has made an extraordinary gesture of generosity and a passion for reading. Inspired by the “Oluremi at 65 Education Fund” campaign, she contributed to the fund, which aims to supply storybooks for the National Library, enabling children across Nigeria to access books like hers.
The campaign, launched ahead of Nigeria’s First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s 65th birthday on September 21, 2025, encouraged Nigerians to donate to a dedicated Zenith Bank account instead of sending personal gifts or celebratory messages.
Faith first heard the fundraising jingle while watching NTA Channels TV and TVC Network News with her parents. Enthralled, she spent a whole week insisting on making her own donation. On the evening of September 3, while the advert played again at 9:00 p.m., she quickly scribbled the Zenith account number into her textbook. Urging her father to help, she asked him to break her clay savings bank and make a transfer.
At exactly 10:08 p.m., her father transferred the funds from his Fidelity account, showing her the receipt—fulfilling Faith’s heartfelt desire.
Faith’s ten-year-old elder sister followed suit, making her own donation at 10:10 p.m. on the same day. Both girls are avid readers: Faith has read 68 children’s storybooks since July 2024, borrowing additional books from her school during holidays, while her elder sister has read over 100 books and enjoys writing short stories. They have a shared bookshelf in their bedroom and make it a point to read at night, often falling asleep with stories in hand.
Their love for reading also extends to phonetic lessons every Friday evening and Saturday morning. Faith credits her passion for books to her elder sister’s influence and the culture of learning nurtured by their parents, who encourage them to watch national and international news regularly.
The sisters expressed that their contribution to the Oluremi at 65 Education Fund is aimed at helping other children access books in the National Library. They also wished the First Lady a happy birthday, praying for her long life and good health.
Faith and her sister have been active advocates for the girl child. On October 11, International Day of the Girl Child, they joined other girls in presiding over a symbolic plenary session at the Jigawa State House of Assembly, presenting proposals to lawmakers. The Speaker, Right Honourable Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, vacated his seat for a day to allow a girl child to lead.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, born September 21, 1960, has encouraged Nigerians to support the construction of a state-of-the-art National Library rather than sending gifts, highlighting the project’s role in promoting literacy, research, and digital access. Recently, she toured the Qatar National Library in Doha to gather insights for the initiative.
Faith Maiyaki’s story is a heartwarming reminder that age is no barrier to generosity, and a single act of giving can inspire a new generation of readers and learners.
