Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again stated that he does not know his exact age.

Speaking on Sunday, Dec. 7, during the Toyin Falola Interviews series titled A Conversation with His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president explained that he can only estimate his age by comparing himself to his primary school classmates—six of whom are still alive, and none younger than 90.

The interview panel included Professor Toyin Falola, Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese, and former presidential candidate Professor Kingsley Moghalu.

Obasanjo said he established the presidential library to preserve institutional memory and ensure critical national records do not get lost. According to him, over three million materials have already been digitised, with another three million still in the pipeline.

“The idea is that once these materials are fully digitised, people can access them. We preserve the past, document the present, and hope these records inspire the future,” he said.

He noted that the library contains everything from his primary and secondary school records to personal letters—including one written to General Sani Abacha after his son died in an accident, and another written to his wife while he was in prison. He also revealed that even manuscripts of books he authored in prison and crops he planted during incarceration are archived there.

Reiterating his uncertainty about his true birth year, Obasanjo said: “I don’t know my exact age, but I can judge from those who were in school with me. I’ve mentioned the Olubara of Ibara (Oba Jacob Olufemi Omolade), who is still alive. I believe six of my classmates are still living, and none of them is less than 90. So I leave it to you to guess what my age could be.”

He added that the presidential library was driven by his belief that Nigerians generally do not value record-keeping or institutional memory enough.