Seeing the National Arts Theatre, renovated and renamed in honour of one most deserving of it, Prof Wole Soyinka again coming to life must surely evoke memories for people with affinity for the Arts, and those of us who took to it in one form or the other.

For many years, that was our home. Perhaps for its choice location, seated majestically as a centerpiece between mainland and island, accessible from every point, there was this magnetic pull about it, and you just found yourself gravitating towards it, with or without a mission.

Back then, when things were good, and even things had only just begun to get bad, it would surely find something for you to do. It could be someone seeking to drag you to watch a movie, like Lagos Bus Conductors after the morning rush. It could be a troupe somewhere rehearsing in a corner, singing and dancing for the gods, or it could be the Artist labouring on canvas to bring to life what only he could see, or a sculptor seeking to mould sense out of the chaos far a bit, but near enough for inspiration. It could be one of us, poets, lost to the world, conjuring words from the sky to make nonsense of sense.

National Theatre. Every visit with its own story. You are either running into a long-lost friend or find a brand new one. That walk from Costain Bus stop to the Bowl almost always has you running into someone you know, or someone you don’t know finding you fascinating enough to engage with. People coming, people going. For years.

You just found the National Theatre pulling you to itself, offering an oasis away from the chaos all around it. You can always see it from afar, beckoning with a mat for new dreams and a basket of possibilities for the adventurous.

Some will resume there at noon to plot a compass for the rest of the day, others, majority that is, will go out fishing around the city before dropping by in the evening to offload the troubles of the day, bury their worries late into the night, and borrow hope for tomorrow before staggering home. Some didn’t have the leisure of a home to return to though. But we are better off letting bygones staying buried.

Oh, Abe-Igi. What is the National Theatre without Abe-Igi. Under those trees, many dreams were born, many dreams were quashed. Many who later became stars started out as dreams hatched under those trees, while men and women conversed with bottles and other things in the evenings.

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I remember the National Theatre. It was there as a 16-year old undergraduate, that I took to the stage for the first time, reciting a poem I had written in class, a mix of patois, pidgin and Queen’s English, to a distinguished audience of greats I could never have imagined, at the time, being in the same hall with. Association of Nigerian Authors Conference.

I remember being there one of those days to see Lola Fani Kayode’s Iwa. Those were the days when you would have queues outside for different movies scheduled for the different cinema halls. We would come to see films and stage plays. I think one of those NIB-sponsored plays was held there.

It was also at the National Theatre that the Tony Okoroji-led PMAN held those never-to-be-forgotten Nigerian Music Awards. It was there Shina Peters gifted us ‘soonest recover’. It was also there that Chief Kollington became a General, courtesy of General Abacha. ‘Ta lo fun wa loye yi o? General Abacha’, he later told the world.

It’s a new day. A new poem written for the National Theatre from the vaults of the Central Bank and Sons Limited. President Buhari. Godwin Emefiele. Governor Sanwoolu. President Tinubu. The thought. The courage to dare to put life to dead bones. The ability to stay true and deliver a new Theatre. Wole Soyinka said he didn’t think it possible. But they proved him wrong. The General’s Hat is back to itself, seated as befitting centrepiece in the heart of itself.

It is only befitting that such an iconic building has been named for Prof Wole Soyinka. He richly deserves it. President Tinubu described him as “one of the greatest assets of the world.”

In awarding him the Nobel Prize in 1986, the Swedish Academy said: “Soyinka has been characterized as one of the finest poetical playwrights that have written in English…Linguistically too Soyinka stands out as excellent. He possesses a prolific store of words and expressions which he exploits to the full in witty dialogue, in satire and grotesquery, in quiet poetry and essays of sparkling vitality. Wole Soyinka’s writing is full of life and urgency. For all its complexity it is at the same time energetically coherent.”

It was only last year that we travelled to Morocco with him on his 90th Birthday, as he received the emblem of the Académie Royale du Maroc. I struggle with the right words to describe the kind of respect and reverence that I saw accorded him by non-Nigerians. It was a thing of joy, as a Nigerian to see how honoured other Africans felt to be able to lay claim to him.

I don’t know about naming monuments after individuals, but as he himself explained, he was quite conflicted about it. But, as I have consistently argued, I will rather have people honoured while alive than when they have passed on.

If there is a living legend deserving of such honour, it is Wole Soyinka. In affixing his name to that building, it is also a transposition of value from and onto it, increasing its value in the eye of much of the world.

It is a great move. It is good to have the iconic National Arts Theatre, now ‘Prof. Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture And The Creative Arts’ back in its full glory. I can’t wait to visit. Again.

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He appealed to Nigerians to stop painting a negative picture of the country.

Tinubu spoke at the inauguration of the newly renovated National Arts Theatre at Iganmu, Lagos.

The renovation of the National Theatre was undertaken by the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee in partnership with the Lagos State Government and Federal Government.

Tinubu renamed the edifice in July 2024 as Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in honour of the Nobel Laureate.

He also urged Nigerians to boldly and proudly project the nation’s image positively and build it together in unity.

Tinubu recalled the beauty of the National Theatre and how it was used to project Nigeria’s rich culture before its degeneration.

He also recalled how the world gathered in the edifice to celebrate FESTAC 77.

The president called for an endowment funding policy for the newly inaugurated complex, promising to be a contributor.

He commended Soyinka whom he described as one of the most talented and creative minds.

The president said Soyinka deserved the monument to be named after him for his contribution to nation building and fight for freedom.

He said he enjoyed the evening celebrating both the nation’s independence and the inauguration in a relaxed atmosphere promoting the nation’s rich culture and heritage.

Tinubu thanked the CBN governor, the Bankers’ Committee and other stakeholders for actualisation of the revamp.

On his part, Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, explained efforts that went into the project that was approved by government in 2020.

He praised Tinubu’s vision that transformed the project from restoration into a symbol of national renewal.

“By renaming the National Arts Theatre as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in July 2024, His Excellency charted a bold course to place creativity at the heart of Nigeria’s renaissance,” he said.

Cardoso disclosed that the president directed that the centre must be ready for the historic Independence Day anniversary.

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“He underscored culture’s role not only in preserving our heritage but also in projecting Nigeria’s influence on the global stage.

“Today, the results stand as a testament to that foresight and to the power of purposeful leadership,” he said.

Cardoso said CBN, the Bankers’ Committee, the Lagos State Government, and the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy came together with a shared purpose to deliver the project.

He said the Bankers’ Committee alone committed N68 billion to the project and appealed to Nigerians to take ownership of the edifice.

Cardoso said Nigeria’s creative industries were engines of growth, with the potential to generate billions in annual revenue while creating millions of jobs.

“Yet, beyond economics, culture is about identity, pride, and the very soul of a nation.

“With this restoration, we’re investing in our youth, in our stories, and in Nigeria’s rightful place on the global stage,” he said.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State described the project as the heartbeat of the nation’s costume for development.

Sanwo-Olu said unity held sway 50 years ago in the same hall when Lagos hosted the FESTAC 77.

“It was here that we showed what was possible when culture led the way, when art became the language of unity.

“That same spirit lives here today. This historic festival took place here in this very complex,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu thanked the president for gracing the reopening on the special occasion of the nation’s independence anniversary.

He said the state was proud to be a key stakeholder and a partner in the project and had developed infrastructure, including the Blue Line Metro train with dedicated facility at the theatre.

Source: NAN

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The president made the announcement on Friday in a tribute to Soyinka, titled “Professor Wole Soyinka at 90: Tribute to a National Treasure and Global Icon.”

He declared that henceforth, the National Theatre would be known as the “Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.”

Tinubu described the honour as a fitting one to “this national treasure while he is still with us.”

His words: “I am, accordingly, delighted to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

“We do not only celebrate Soyinka’s remarkable literary achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity and justice.”

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The tribute by Tinubu reads in full:

PROFESSOR WOLE SOYINKA AT 90: TRIBUTE TO A NATIONAL TREASURE AND GLOBAL ICON 

 I am pleased to join admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s iconic son and the world-renowned Professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde, famously known as Wole Soyinka. 

Tomorrow the 13th July will be the climax of the series of local and international activities held in his honour. To underscore the global relevance of the literary giant, a symposium, along with poetry reading was held in Rabat Morocco on 9 July.  The event was organized by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA).

Professor Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades as he marks the milestone of 90 years on earth. Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.

It is also fitting we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with us. 

I am, accordingly, delighted to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

We do not only celebrate Soyinka’s remarkable literary achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity and justice.

When he turned 80, I struggled to find words to encapsulate his achievements because they were simply too vast. Since then, he has added to his corpus with his series of Interventions, which have been published in many volumes.

Professor Soyinka is a colossus, a true Renaissance person blessed with innumerable talents. He is a playwright, actor, poet, human rights and political activist, composer, and singer.

He is a giant bestriding not just the literary world but our nation, Africa, and the world. 

He remains the shining light of our nation, the gadfly that pokes our national soul, decrying tyranny and oppression, urging us to become better as a nation. 

He is one Nigerian whose influence transcends the Nigerian space and who inspires people around the world. Since his youth, he has been a vocal critic of oppression and injustice wherever it exists, from apartheid in South Africa to racism in the United States. Soyinka always speaks truth to power.  

Beginning from his 20s, he took personal risks for the sake of our nation. His courage was evident when he attempted to broker peace at the start of the civil war in 1967. Detained for two years for his bravery, he narrated his experience in his prison memoir, “The Man Died.” 

Despite deprivation and solitary confinement, his resolve to speak truth to power and fight for the marginalized was further strengthened. His early writing, such as ‘The Lion and the Jewel,’ ’Death and the King’s Horseman’, not only testified to his mastery of language, his innovative storytelling, but also his unflinching commitment to enthroning a fair and just society.

Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election. When faced with a trial in absentia and death sentence by the military regime at home, he galvanized opposition in exile through NALICON and NADECO. His global stature made him the face of our struggle to validate June 12 and restore democracy in Nigeria.

Today, I join the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work. I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country. I celebrate him for his enduring spirit and for teaching us that literature and drama can be used as a powerful tool to challenge the status quo.

I wish Professor Soyinka an incredibly happy 90th birthday.

May he continue in good health to find creative fulfilment in the next decade leading up to his centennial. 

May he continue to inspire us all to build a nation where people are free from oppression and our teeming youths can live up to their dreams without being a wasted generation.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President of Federal Republic of Nigeria 

 July 12, 2024

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The government clarified that it is merely renaming the complex housing the edifice.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the complex housing the National Theatre would be known as Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre, with four creative hubs and other facilities currently under construction.

Mohammed made the clarification when he featured on “Good Morning Nigeria,’’ a live programme on the Nigerian Television Authority, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja on Tuesday.

“The controversy on the re-naming of the National Theatre is just a storm in a tea cup.

“What we said in Spain was that there are lots of developmental projects going on within the National Theatre complex.

“You have the National Theatre fully refurbished and renovated, you also have four hubs each for music, fashion, IT and film. You cannot call all of them National Theatre again.

“The entire complex is what will be known as the Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre, comprising the National Theatre and the four hubs.’’

Mohammed said the hubs were being built to provide capacity in the creative sectors.

According to him, the music hub and the film hub would be respectively built and equipped with latest technology for recording and processing music and films.

He said it would forestall Nigerian artists and film makers from going outside the country like South Africa and other places to record, process and package their music or films.

In addition to the national theatre monument and the new four hubs, the minister said a modern police station, fire station and 500 capacity car park were also being constructed in the complex.

The minister expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the enabling environment for investment of 100 million dollars by the Bankers Committee, led by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the project.

“Regrettably, the National Theatre which was built in 1976 has been in a state of disrepair for decades without any form of renovation or proper maintenance.

“I want to express our gratitude to the Bankers Committee because there was no way we would have funded this with our budget allocation.

“The donation of the 100 million-dollar investment in renovating the edifice and in developing the creative industry is an achievement of this administration.’’

Mohammed also thanked the Lagos State government for its invaluable contributions in making the dream possible.

According to him, the Lagos State government is investing a lot of money in the reclamation and dredging of the surrounding area which is by the lagoon.

He said the Lagos State government was working with experts and the Federal Ministry of Environment to restore the Ebute-Metta creek so that water within the wetland would be clean for restoration of the flora and fauna in the area.

The minister added that the state was extending the blue rail line to have a terminal at the complex to ease traffic from and into the National Theatre and the hubs.

He expressed his optimism that the National Theatre renovation project, the construction of the hubs and other facilities in the complex would be ready by November for the hosting of the first Global Conference on Cultural Tourism and Creative Industry.

On April 19 in Madrid, Spain, the minister signed a hosting agreement for the global conference with the Secretary-General of United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Mr Zurab Pololikashvili.

The conference which would hold from November 14 to November 17 is expected to re-position the creative industry as the engine of growth not just for Nigeria or Africa but for all countries of the world.

Source: NAN

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Tuesday in Madrid, Spain while signing an agreement on Nigeria’s hosting of first Global Conference on Cultural Tourism and Creative Industry.

The bilateral agreement was signed between Nigeria and United Nation World Tourism Organisation, UNWTO, at the organisation’s headquarters.

Mohammed disclosed that the global conference, which would hold from November 14 to November 17, would be the first event to be staged at the newly refurbished edifice.

“Nigeria will be hosting the event at the National Theatre in Lagos, which is currently being renovated at a cost of 100 million dollars under a partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Bankers’ Committee/Central Bank of Nigeria.

“It is the first of such renovation of the iconic edifice in over four decades.

“In addition to the renovation, new hubs are being constructed, within the premises of the National Theatre, for fashion, Information, technology, film and music.

“With that, the National Theatre is now known as the Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre.

“In addition, the Lagos surface rail system, to serve the National Theatre, will be commissioned ahead of the Global Conference,’’ he said

Mohammed said the signing of the bilateral agreement signified Nigeria’s commitment to host the event.

He, therefore, directed that the contractors handling the reconstruction project must ensure its prompt delivery for the global event.

The minister added that in an effort to ensure that the complex was ready for the hosting in November, he recently undertook an inspection tour of ongoing work there with stakeholders.

The stakeholders on the inspection tour, according to the minister, were Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele and the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare.

According to the minister, there was every indication  that the venue would be ready early enough to host the global conference.

The Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Mr Ademola Seriki, who said he is a member of Board of Directors of the company handling the reconstruction project, said the edifice would be completed before the global event.

Seriki, who accompanied the minister to the bilateral agreement signing ceremony, thanked the UNWTO for giving Nigeria the right to host the maiden global conference.

He said the conference would bring a huge reputation to the country and assert Nigeria’s lead in music, theatre and other areas of entertainment in Africa.

Mr Folorunsho Coker, Director-General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, was on the entourage of the minister.

The National Theatre, an iconic centre for performing arts,  was established  to preserve, present and promote arts and culture in Nigeria.

The construction of the monument was completed in 1976 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture hosted in 1977.

Source: NAN

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Ododo made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to his office by Mr Ephraims Sheyin, Head of Lagos Operations of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

“There is an arrangement in place called ‘Theatre Partners,’ which brings the federal government, through the Ministry of Information and Culture, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Bankers Committee together, as partners.

“With the new arrangement, the board, which will be made up of five members, will oversee the affairs of the new National Theatre.

“Two of the members will come from the Federal Government, with another two from CBN Bankers Committee.

“One of the two from the federal government will be the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of the complex, while the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture will appoint the second person who will be the chairman of the board.

“The CBN Bankers Committee will also supply two members. Four of us will sit and headhunt a facility manager who will manage the new facility.

“Whoever is appointed will join four of us at the board as the fifth person,” he said.

Ododo, however, said that the new arrangement would not affect the mandate of the National Theatre to project and preserve the national cultural heritage and present same to both Nigerians and people worldwide.

He said that the National Theatre also had a mandate to hunt for talents and make them fruitful for professional engagement.

Ododo assured Lagos residents that the ongoing renovation, which he said was showing “visible progress”, would not affect activities at the food court area of the National Theatre, popularly referred to as “Abeigi.”

Earlier, Sheyin had called for a closer relationship between the two organisations which, he noted, were members of one family.

He commended the federal government for the Private-Public-Partnership that would ensure the injection of N21.8 billion by the CBN into the complex, and expressed optimism that the renovation would give the nation’s economy a huge lift.

The federal government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank for the total renovation of the National Theatre.

Ododo told newsmen recently that the renovation would create more than 16,000 jobs directly and indirectly, when completed.

He explained that the jobs would come in the fields of music, fashion, film and information technology.

Information minister, Lai Mohammed, signed the MoU on behalf of the government while CBN governor,Godwin Emefiele, signed on behalf of the bankers’ committee.

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Speaking at the event, Mohammed said that the National Theatre, despite the arrangement, still remained a national heritage.

He said that the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture would continue to hold the keys to the iconic national heritage inspite of the Public Private Partnership arrangement between FG and the Bankers Committee.

“Please permit me to make clarifications that this iconic National Theatre remains a national heritage and will not be ceded to any person or group as some naysayers are insinuating; it remains our national heritage.

“The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture will continue to hold the keys to the National Theatre on behalf of all Nigerians.

“What we are here to do is to handover the National Theatre for restoration and upgrade and also the 134 hectares of fallow land within the premises to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers Committee for development,” he said.

The minister said that the PPP arrangement would be in two phases which were: the restoration and upgrade of the National Theatre to its glory days, while the second phase would be the development of the fallow land surrounding the edifice.

“Another good news is that this project will not lead to any single job loss. Rather, it will create more. Over 6,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase while the completed project could generate additional 600 permanent jobs and 2,000 to 3,000 jobs. This is a good one,” he said.

Mohammed said that the project which had been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari would be a win-win arrangement for everyone involved.

“The place had been left for over four decades without any form of renovation.

“Government has no money to restore the complex. As you know, this is the hub of the creative industry in Nigeria.

“The National Theatre was established for the advancement of the performing arts throughout the country; to also encourage the promotion of the social development and improvement of the quality of life.

“But its present state is not living to its billing,” he said.

The minister said that the centre, upon upgrade, would comprise creative clusters of fashion, music, film and information technology which would be supported by other facilities including multi-storey parking space to accommodate over 1000 cars.

“There would be the administrative and management offices. This will create massive job opportunities for the youths.

“I enjoin all of us to give our maximum support to this project so that we can bequeath a befitting national heritage to the younger generation.

“I appreciate everyone connected to the success of this project,” he said.

Also, the Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare, said that it was a privilege for him to be at the event which would see to the revamping of the creative and entertainment centre.

Dare said many would wonder why the Minister of Youths was at the event forgetting that the youth would benefit more from the project as they are the most active part of the creative industry.

“The potential of the new National Theatre is massive job creation, talent discovery for our youths and the coming generation being an information and technology hub.

“With the pandemic still biting hard, this project is much more divine and needed to battle the multi-headed challenge of unemployment, criminality and the negative impression that is thrust upon individuals who have chosen the life of crime.

“I commend the Bankers Committee for pioneering the vision and taking the risk to invest in the youth of this country.

“Some may see it as a risk, but I do not see it that way. I see it as an investment, even if it is a risk, it is a risk worth taking,” he said.

The minister commended President Buhari for giving approval for the upgrade of the national heritage.

He also commended other individuals involved in the handling over of the national edifice.

Source: NAN

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It was gathered that she died in an accident on Monday on her way to Lagos from Ilorin, Kwara State.

Her remains were said to have been deposited in a morgue.

Her driver and personal assistant said to be involved in the accident with her were said to be receiving treatment in an hospital.

Dr. Oyedepo was appointed GM in April 2018.

A playwright, Oyedepo was the director of the Kwara State Council for Arts and Culture.

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