Excitement as Otukpo Library reopens after years of neglect

Residents of Otukpo community have commended philanthropist and activist leader, Andy Kagwa Obeya, for spearheading the revival of the historic Otukpo Library, which has remained dormant for years

The library is scheduled to be reopened to the public today, a development that has sparked excitement among residents, many of whom described it as a major boost to education, learning and intellectual growth in the community.

Obeya recalled that the library was originally commissioned in 1978 by Professor Shima Gyoh, who was then the Commissioner for Information in Benue State.

Interestingly, the same Prof. Shima Gyoh is expected to recommission the library nearly five decades later, in what many residents described as a symbolic moment linking the past with the future.

Community members praised Obeya for driving the project, which started years ago from conception to completion, describing the intervention as timely and impactful.

Some residents noted that the library, which once served as a major centre for learning and research in the 1970s and early 1980s, had long been abandoned and overtaken by neglect before the latest restoration effort.

“This is one of the best things to happen to Otukpo in recent years,” a Ene Marysaid. 

“Many young people today have never experienced what a functional public library looks like. Andy Obeya deserves commendation for bringing this place back to life.”

Another resident described the project as “a restoration of history and knowledge,” adding that generations of students and researchers would benefit immensely from the revived facility.

Speaking ahead of the reopening, Obeya described the project as more than the unveiling of a building, saying it represented a reconnection with the community’s educational heritage.

“As we reopen the Otukpo Library, we are not just unveiling a building; we are reconnecting with a legacy,” he said.

According to him, the library construction project was awarded around 1976 under the old Benue-Plateau administration.

“In a moment that bridges generations, Prof. Shima Gyoh once again stands to perform that same honour in 2026, nearly five decades later,” he stated.

“This is more than ceremony. It is history repeating itself with purpose.”