Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has explained why he accepted to have the National Theatre in Lagos renamed after him, despite his initial reservations.
Speaking on Tuesday at the reopening of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos), the renowned playwright admitted that he had once considered the historic complex irredeemable and beyond repair.
“I Thought the Building Could Never Be Saved”
Soyinka revealed that before its recent facelift, he never believed the theatre could be restored to global standards.
“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,” he said.
According to him, the ₦68 billion renovation project spearheaded by the Bankers’ Committee proved him wrong and made him “eat his words.”
He recalled how the theatre’s infrastructure had deteriorated so badly that the leaking roofs and exposed electrical wiring once put his actors at risk of electrocution.
Mixed Feelings About the Honour
Soyinka, a vocal critic of successive governments that “appropriate public monuments,” confessed that accepting the renaming was not an easy decision.
He noted that his decision was influenced by several reasons nostalgia, the successful revival of the theatre, and what he described humorously as being “ambushed.”
“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,” he remarked with a smile.
The literary icon also recalled the theatre’s early days, noting that when it was first constructed, many nicknamed it “The General’s Hat” because of its unique roof design.
A Landmark Revival for Nigerian Arts
Applauding the transformation, Soyinka expressed hope that with the upgraded facilities, Nigerians would no longer need to travel abroad to experience world-class African theatre productions.
He praised the Bankers’ Committee for their vision and execution, stressing that the edifice had now attained international standards.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented at the event, directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to establish a National Arts Theatre Endowment Fund to guarantee the continued maintenance of the complex.
Dignitaries in Attendance
The reopening ceremony attracted top dignitaries, including:
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of Nigeria
Senate President Godswill Akpabio
CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, who coordinated the Bankers’ Committee
Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, a former CBN governor
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State
Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy
Their presence underscored the importance of the National Theatre as a cultural symbol and a renewed hub for Nigeria’s creative industries.