“Why I Accepted National Theatre Renaming” — Soyinka, as Tinubu Launches Endowment Fund

Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has explained why he accepted the renaming of the National Arts Theatre, Lagos, after him, describing the decision as one taken with mixed emotions. Speaking at the reopening of the newly refurbished complex, now known as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Soyinka admitted he had once doubted the theatre could ever be restored.

“I never believed this monument could be revamped,” he said, recalling his criticisms of leaders who appropriated public monuments for themselves. “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. But I accepted to eat my words if this monumental turnaround is what I would get in return.”

The project, driven by the Bankers’ Committee with a commitment of N68 billion, transformed the once-dilapidated theatre into a world-class cultural hub. Soyinka praised the effort, noting that Nigerians can now enjoy African theatre at home rather than abroad. He recounted the theatre’s decay before the renovation, including leaking roofs and exposed wires, which once nearly caused electrocution during rehearsals.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who attended the reopening alongside First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and other dignitaries, directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to establish a National Arts Theatre Endowment Fund to guarantee the edifice’s maintenance. The President dismissed any controversy about renaming the theatre, describing Soyinka as “one of the greatest assets of the world.”

“Prof. Wole Soyinka’s contributions to the arts and culture are beyond measure. The renaming could not have gone to anyone else,” Tinubu said. He urged Nigerians to embrace unity and positivity, adding: “Let us all come together to rebuild Nigeria. The youth should also renew their hope in Nigeria and work together for its continued greatness.”

CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, representing the Bankers’ Committee, said the project was not just corporate social responsibility but a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s cultural future. He described the centre as “a rebirth,” preserving the theatre’s iconic silhouette while delivering upgraded performance halls, cinemas, exhibition spaces, an African literature library, and modern facilities integrated with the Lagos Blue Line rail system.

“The National Theatre, completed in 1976 and inaugurated at FESTAC ’77, has stood for nearly half a century as a proud symbol of our heritage,” Cardoso said. “By renaming it the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, President Tinubu charted a bold course to place creativity at the heart of Nigeria’s renaissance.”

For Soyinka, who recalled the building’s original nickname, “General’s Hat,” the honour carried a sense of nostalgia. “I thought I was ambushed, but then I decided this building belongs to me—it belongs to me,” he said.