Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has revealed why he ultimately agreed to have the National Theatre in Lagos renamed after him, despite initial reservations, during the reopening of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu).
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Speaking on Wednesday, the renowned playwright admitted that he had once considered the historic complex “irredeemable and beyond repair,” citing deteriorated infrastructure, leaking roofs, and exposed electrical wiring that had once endangered his actors. Soyinka recounted, “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.” The literary icon also recalled the theatre’s early days, noting its nickname “The General’s Hat” due to the roof’s distinctive design.
The ₦68 billion renovation project, spearheaded by the Bankers’ Committee, proved the theatre could be restored to international standards, compelling Soyinka to “eat his words.” He expressed hope that Nigerians would no longer need to travel abroad to experience world-class African theatre productions.
Soyinka, a long-time critic of successive governments that “appropriate public monuments,” admitted that accepting the renaming was not easy. He explained that nostalgia, the successful revival of the theatre, and what he humorously described as being “ambushed” influenced his decision. The playwright praised the Bankers’ Committee for their vision and execution, noting that the theatre had now attained international standards. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented at the event, directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to establish a National Arts Theatre Endowment Fund to ensure the continued maintenance of the complex.
“I accepted this honour with mixed feelings. First of all, I’m notorious for having criticised any appropriations. Personal appropriations of public monuments by some of our past leaders, which would end up that everything is named after them. I’ll be modest, given the general estimate, to say that about 25 percent of monuments, whether they are buildings or roads in particular in this country, are well and truly deserved,” Soyinka said.
Reflecting on the history of Nigerian theatre and pioneers such as Hubert Ogunde and opera composer Adam Fiberesima, Soyinka said he ultimately concluded that “somebody has to carry the can.” The playwright shared a nostalgic connection to the National Theatre, recalling its original construction during the military era and its significance during FESTAC ’77. He lamented the building’s decline over the years, at one point describing it as “irredeemable” and “like a slum.”
“I have another reason, which is nostalgia. I remember this building was first erected during the military regime. We had FESTAC ‘77 in this very hall. It’s a different hall completely, it’s nothing like what that building became over the years,” he said. “Degraded to such an extent that when Lagos was celebrating its 50 years anniversary and we looked for a hub, a centre of activities which would take place elsewhere, one of the places we visited was here, which is now transformed. I took one look at it and when the governor and his team wanted to come back to take a second look, I said you go without me. I said I would advise you, get somebody secretly, plant a bomb, and blow it up. It was irredeemable. I said ‘it’s not just a desert, it was a slum.’”
Soyinka praised the transformation of the building, noting, “If eating one’s word produces a morsel like this, then it’s a very tasty set of words.”
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