President Tinubu Renames National Theatre in Honor of Wole Soyinka

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renamed the National Arts Theatre in Lagos, Nigeria, in Wole Soyinka’s honour.

This historic move was made on 13th July 2024, on the professor’s 90th birthday.
He announced the Federal Government’s decision to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts. “It is fitting we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with us,” he said.

This action honours Nigeria’s literary icon and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, whose contributions to literature, drama, and human rights have received international recognition.

“Professor Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades as he marks the milestone of 90 years on earth,” Tinubu wrote on his X account. “Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.”

Tinubu highlighted that Nigeria honours not only Soyinka’s outstanding literary achievements but also his unshakable commitment to human decency and justice.

President Tinubu also talked about Soyinka’s global influence and his enduring legacy as a vocal critic of oppression and injustice, from apartheid in South Africa to racism in the United States. “Soyinka is one Nigerian whose influence transcends our borders and inspires people around the world,”.

The renaming of the theatre is expected to increase its prominence, invite more foreign performances and collaborations while also solidifying Nigeria’s position on the world cultural map.