Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has opened up on why he agreed to the renaming of Lagos’ iconic National Theatre in his honour, now called the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
Soyinka, known for opposing the naming of public monuments after individuals, admitted he accepted this with “mixed feelings.”
Said “I have been guilty of saying others do not merit this kind of dedication, and then I had to watch my name being put up as yet another appropriator. It just didn’t sit well with me. But nostalgia played a part. This theatre holds memories — from FESTAC ’77 to its decline, and now, this stunning rebirth.”
The legendary playwright recalled once describing the building as “irredeemable… even a slum,” but praised its transformation after renovation “If eating one’s words produces a morsel like this, then it’s a very tasty set of words.”
The theatre, once left in ruins, now stands as a revived hub for culture and the creative arts — a fitting tribute to Soyinka’s lifelong dedication to Nigerian theatre.
