Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has explained why he had accepted the decision to rename the National Theatre, Iganmu, after him.
On Wednesday at the re-commissioning ceremony of Wole Soyinka Centre, which coincided with Nigeria Independence Day, 1 October, Mr Soyinka said the transformation of the once dilapidated cultural landmark convinced him to accept the honour.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported in July 2024 that the Tinubu-led administration renamed the national theatre after Mr Soyinka, and it has been under renovation since then.
On Wednesday, while reopening the art edifice, President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, canvassed unity and urged Nigerians to boldly and proudly project the nation’s image positively and build the country together
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They also acknowledged the professor’s contributions to the body of arts and literature, which puts Nigeria in a prominent position worldwide.
Acceptance
Meanwhile, in his speech at the re-opening ceremony, Mr Soyinka said the transformation of the edifice made him give in to renaming the National Theatre after him.
“First of all, I’m notorious for criticising the appropriation of public monuments by some of our past leaders, where everything ends up being named after them. I have been guilty of saying that other people do not merit this kind of monumental dedication, and then I have been guilty of it myself. I had FESTAC ’77 in this very hall; when Lagos clocked 50 years, one of the places we visited was this hall.
“When the governor and his team wanted to come back to take a second look, I said, ‘Go without me, I will advise you: get someone secretly, plant a bomb, and blow the place up,’ because it was not just a desert, it was a slum. But this Bankers’ Committee has made me eat my words. If eating one’s words produces something like this, it’s very tasty,” Mr Soyinka said.
Mixed feelings
The literary icon admitted that he accepted the honour with mixed feelings about why he should be appropriated after public monuments and the value Nigerians will derive from the renovated edifice.
He also recalled his near-death experience with his acting crew at the National Theatre and emphasised that Nigerians should not have to travel abroad to watch African cinema.
“I have to stand up in public and watch my name being put up as yet another appropriator. It just didn’t seem to work very well for me.
“And one of the reasons was that 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 of 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 belonged to me. It belongs to me.
“So, having considered all these factors, I decided that I might as well accept it. After all, it’s one thing you can give people that doesn’t cost money. Once your personality is established, people want to preserve and grow it, even without paying relatives. Okay, they’re gonna have it.”
Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts
The art centre renovation and upgrades include features like advanced stage engineering, cutting-edge audio-visual technology, refurbished interiors, solar power integration, improved fire safety systems, new lifts, and restored historic artworks.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bankers’ Committee, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, financed the renovation.
Also in attendance at the re-opening ceremony were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, traditional rulers, Nollywood veteran Adewale Elesho, and veteran actress Joke Silva, among others.
The National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, now Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, was initially constructed in 1976 by the Nigerian military government under Yakubu Gowon and completed during General Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime.
It is a primary venue that hosted the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77), which was attended by many countries.
