Why I accepted National Theatre renaming – Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has shared the reason he accepted the renaming of the National Theatre, Lagos, in his honour, despite his long-standing criticism of leaders who often appropriate public monuments.

Speaking on Wednesday, Soyinka admitted that he took the decision with “mixed feelings,” noting that he had never imagined the monument would one day be revived after years of neglect.

The renowned playwright said while he has always been wary of such symbolic gestures, the decision to rename the National Theatre after him came at a time when the facility is witnessing efforts at restoration, making the honour more meaningful.

“I have to stand up in public and watch my name being put up as yet another appropriator. It just didn’t seem very well for me,” the literary giant said.

Soyinka, who spoke at the reopening of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly National Arts Theatre, Iganmu Lagos), said he accepted to eat his words if the monumental turn-around of the theatre complex is what he would get in return.

He explained that before the renovation of the edifice, he thought it was irredeemable, but the Bankers’ Committee “made me eat my words.”’

He said the Bankers’ Committee had done a great job and brought the edifice to global standards. He said that with the recreation of the edifice, Nigerians can now watch Africa Theatre at home instead of travelling abroad.

The Bankers’ Committee committed N68 billion into the project.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the occasion directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to float a National Arts Theatre Endowment Fund to ensure the maintenance of the national edifice.

Soyinka said: “And one of the reasons was I nearly electrocuted two of my actors. That is how they crept into my car. The roofs were leaking, so the pools of water were everywhere. And of course, there were electric wires also.

“One other reason is nostalgia. I remember this building when it was first erected, when we did it originally. I think we called it General’s Hat, because of the shape of the roof. There’s a constant re-conception very little of what I call the African architectural intelligence in it.

“Then there’s another reason why I thought I should accept.

Well, I was already ambushed. They shaved my head behind me. I would have raised a squawk. But, then I decided, this building belongs to me. It belongs to me.”

Tinubu directs CBN to float National Theatre Endowment Fund

Related News
The promised to contribute to the endowment fund.

Among the prominent persons at the event were First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, who coordinated the Bankers’ Committee, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi, who is a former CBN governor; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.

President Tinubu said there was no controversy in the National Theatre being renamed, adding that he considered Prof Soyinka’s contributions to the arts and culture.

“Prof. Wole Soyinka is one of the greatest assets of the world. So, the renaming could not have gone to anyone else,” he said.

The President advised Nigerians to stop talking negatively about the country.

“Let us all come together to rebuild Nigeria. The youth should also renew their hope in Nigeria and work together for its continued greatness,” he said.

Cardoso said the Bankers Committee was committed to spending N68 billion in remodelling the edifice.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria, the Bankers’ Committee, the Lagos State Government, and the Ministry of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy came together with a shared purpose to deliver this national project, with the Bankers’ Committee alone committing approximately N68 billion, not as corporate social responsibility but as a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s cultural future,” Cardoso said.

He said that the project stands as proof that when the public and private sectors unite behind a shared national purpose, there is no limit to what Nigeria can achieve.

The CBN boss stated that 65 years after our nation’s founding, Nigeria’s creative spirit remains alive, pervasive and shaping global culture.

“This edifice has stood for nearly half a century as a proud symbol of our heritage. Completed in 1976 and inaugurated at FESTAC ’77, it became a beacon of African creativity and a repository of our shared history,” he said.

Cardoso explained that by renaming the National Arts Theatre as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in July 2024, ‘’President Tinubu charted a bold course to place creativity at the heart of Nigeria’s renaissance.”

Cardoso explained that the Wole Soyinka Centre is more than a renovation; it is a rebirth.

“Its iconic silhouette has been preserved while delivering world-class performance halls, cinema spaces, exhibition galleries, an African literature library, rehearsal rooms, media and medical facilities, and fully modernised infrastructure. The surrounding grounds now offer gardens, outdoor exhibition areas, upgraded access, and seamless integration with the Lagos Blue Line rail, placing culture at the heart of city life,” he said.

(Nation)