The National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, once a fading monument of Nigeria’s cultural pride, has been given a new lease of life and a new name. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday, commissioned the newly renovated edifice and announced its renaming as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in honour of Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate.
With Soyinka himself present as guest of honour, the President described the 89-year-old playwright and activist as “one of the world’s greatest assets” whose works had placed Nigeria firmly on the global creative map.
“No honour is too big for Uncle Wole Soyinka,” Tinubu declared, recalling the literary giant’s role in nation-building and the struggle for freedom. “It could not have been anyone else.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
The President urged Nigerians at home and abroad to believe in the nation’s future.
“This is a country of very proud people. We know what we are. Lift Nigeria, believe in Nigeria. Put Nigeria first,” he said.
The theatre, originally built in 1976, had fallen into years of neglect until the Bankers’ Committee, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), invested N68 billion into its extensive renovation. President Tinubu commended the effort and called on CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, to establish an endowment fund to ensure the edifice never again sinks into disrepair.
For Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the moment was not just about bricks and mortar but about cultural rebirth.
“This landmark is more than concrete and steel; it is the heartbeat of our nation’s creative soul,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, described the unveiling as a “turning point for Nigeria’s cultural and creative destiny,” praising the President for creating a dedicated ministry to drive the sector.
An emotional Soyinka admitted he was reluctant to have the theatre named after him, citing his well-known skepticism about renaming monuments after living persons. But, in his words, “President Tinubu made it impossible for me to reject the honour.”
Cardoso, on his part, noted that the revamped theatre now boasts world-class halls, exhibition galleries, cinema spaces, and modern facilities — designed not only to celebrate Nigerian artistry but also to position the creative industry as a driver of economic growth.
The glittering ceremony was attended by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, governors, lawmakers, ministers, and traditional rulers. Guests were treated to performances by the National Troupe of Nigeria, the Gerald Eze Ensemble, MudArt House Company, and Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions.
For many, however, the night belonged to Soyinka — the playwright, poet, and activist whose name will now live on in the country’s most iconic cultural landmark.
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