Speaking at the reopening of the newly renovated National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, now renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Tinubu said the decision to immortalise Soyinka was personal and inevitable.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday night showered accolades on Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, hailing him as an “unrewarded talent” whose sacrifices inspired Nigeria to resist tyranny and uphold freedom.
Speaking at the reopening of the newly renovated National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, now renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Tinubu said the decision to immortalise Soyinka was personal and inevitable.
“For our dear uncle and leader, one of the most talented and creative minds, Uncle Wole Soyinka, no conspiracy anywhere. I did it. When they brought the question of renovation to my desk, I remembered the journeys we had together and the gains I shared with you,” Tinubu said in a speech that mixed personal recollection with national homage.
“Your contribution to our courage, nation-building, freedom, yes, in some cases, unrewarded talents, is a proverb. But you are a jewel, our talent. You are one of the greatest assets of the world, the continent, and the country, Nigeria,” he added.
The President further directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to float a National Arts Theatre Endowment Fund to ensure the maintenance of the historic complex.
Responding, Soyinka admitted he accepted the honour with “mixed feelings,” confessing that he had long considered the theatre beyond redemption.
“I never believed this monument could ever be revamped. I nearly electrocuted two of my actors here once. The roof was leaking, water was everywhere, and wires were dangling. I thought it was irredeemable,” he said.
He praised the Bankers’ Committee, which committed N68 billion to the renovation, for delivering what he called “a monumental turnaround.”
“They made me eat my words,” Soyinka admitted. “One of the reasons I accepted is nostalgia. I remember when this building was first erected, we called it the General’s Hat because of the roof shape. Another reason is… well, I was 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.”
CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso said the massive investment was not mere CSR but a deliberate move to place culture at the heart of Nigeria’s rebirth.
“With approximately N68 billion committed by the Bankers’ Committee, this is 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.
He noted that the complex, originally inaugurated during FESTAC ’77, now boasts world-class performance halls, cinema spaces, literature libraries, rehearsal rooms, exhibition galleries, and seamless access to Lagos’ Blue Line rail.
“This is more than a renovation; it is a rebirth,” he said.
Tinubu, who was flanked by top dignitaries including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, and Minister of Arts Hannatu Musawa, urged Nigerians to change their mindset.
“Let us all come together to rebuild Nigeria. The youth should also renew their hope in Nigeria and work together for its continued greatness,” Tinubu advised.