President Bola Tinubu has renamed the National Theatre in Lagos after Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka.
Tinubu announced this in a birthday message to the Nobel laureate who turns 90 on July 13.
“Today, I join the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work. I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country.
“I am, accordingly, delighted to have the honour to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts,” Tinubu was quoted to have said in a statement by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale.
He stated that the President saluted one of Nigeria’s living repositories of history, knowledge, and courage, and praised him for his valiant efforts in the trenches for the nation’s future as both a pro-democracy champion and a trenchant voice against corruption and maladministration over several decades.
Tinubu regarded Professor Soyinka as one of his generation’s brightest thinkers, adhering to the highest principles of human enlightenment while being resistant to injustice, oppression, and base instincts.
Speaking further on the Nobel Laureate, Tinubu stated, “Our paths intersected during our legitimate struggle for the establishment of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
“When faced with a trial in absentia and death sentence by the military regime at home, he galvanized opposition in exile through NALICON and NADECO. His global stature made him the face of our struggle to validate June 12 and restore democracy in Nigeria.”
Professor Soyinka is an internationally renowned dramatist, writer, poet, essayist, actor, singer, musician, and documentarian.
He is also a strong advocate for good government and a fair and just society.
In 1986, he became the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The Nobel Prize Laureate has received numerous prestigious prizes, including the Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature, the Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Lifetime Achievement), and the Europe Theatre Prize (Special Prize).
The National Theatre, originally began under General Yakubu Gowon’s administration, was completed in 1976 by General Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime in preparation for the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC).
It has now grown to become Nigeria’s leading performing arts facility.
The National Theatre will be renamed after Soyinka, a month after President Tinubu dedicated Arterial Road N20 in Abuja after the Nobel Laureate.
On June 4, the President opened the route that connects Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) in Abuja.
