By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka recently explained why he accepted the renaming of the National Theatre in Lagos after him.
The National Theatre was built in 1976 by the Bulgarian Construction Company, Technoexportsroy, as part of the preparations for FESTAC ’77, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture. The theatre’s design was inspired by the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria, and features a unique “hat-like” shape that reflects Nigerian culture and tradition.
Speaking at the reopening of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, he said he had mixed feelings about the honor, given his past criticisms of leaders who appropriated public monuments. However, he was won over by the renovation of the theatre complex, which he thought was beyond repair.
He said, “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 accepted the honor because of the monumental turnaround of the theatre complex.
He credited the Bankers’ Committee for doing a great job and bringing the edifice to global standards. With the recreation of the edifice, Nigerians can now watch Africa Theatre at home instead of traveling abroad.
The Bankers’ Committee committed N68 billion into the project. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to float a National Arts Theatre Endowment Fund to ensure the maintenance of the national edifice.
Stating the other reasons he accepted the renaming, Wole 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.”
He also mentioned nostalgia, recalling the building’s history and its original nickname, “General’s Hat,” due to its unique roof design.
He said, “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.”
He further said, “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.”
President Tinubu said there was no controversy in the National Theatre being renamed. He made it clear that he looked at Prof Soyinka’s contributions to the arts and culture. He said, “Prof. Wole Soyinka is one of the greatest assets of the world. So, the renaming could not have gone to anyone else.”
The President also advised Nigerians to stop talking negatively about the country.
CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, who coordinated the Bankers’ Committee, said the committee was committed to spending N68 billion in remodeling the edifice. He said, “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.”
He also 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.
Cardoso said 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.” He said that the Wole Soyinka Centre is more than a renovation; it is a rebirth.
The event was attended by prominent persons, including First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.
