By Hadiza Suleman
The National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos, has been named after Prof Wole Soyinka to mark the Nobel laureate’s 90th birthday.
A statement by President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Friday, said the centre would now be called “The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts”. Soyinka will turn 90 on July 13, 2024.
Professor Soyinka is a globally celebrated playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, actor, singer, composer, and documentarian. He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986 – the first African to win the prize in that category. He also won other awards, including the Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature; Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award; Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, (Lifetime Achievement); and the Europe Theatre Prize – (Special Prize).
President Tinubu said Soyinka deserved the honour, “having beaten prostate cancer; this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work”. He commended the literary icon’s unyielding to injustice, oppression, and base impulses.
According to him, Soyinka is “one of Nigeria’s living repositories of history, knowledge, and courage”, and commended him for his efforts in the trenches for the nation’s future both as a pro-democracy champion and as a trenchant voice against corruption and maladministration over several decades.
The release read in part, “Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election. When faced with a trial in absentia and death sentence by the military regime at home, he galvanised 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.
“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.”
