In a birthday message to Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, who turns 90 on July 13, President Bola Tinubu announced the renaming of the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, to The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts. The announcement was made in a statement by Tinubu’s media aide, Ajuri Ngelale.
“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,” Tinubu said.
President Tinubu praised Soyinka as one of Nigeria’s living repositories of history, knowledge, and courage, acknowledging his efforts as a pro-democracy champion and a vocal opponent of corruption and maladministration over several decades. Tinubu described Soyinka as one of the finest minds of his generation, conforming to the highest standards of human enlightenment while remaining unyielding to injustice and oppression.
Reflecting on their shared history, Tinubu recalled, “Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the enthronement 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.”
Soyinka, a globally celebrated playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, actor, singer, composer, and documentarian, is also a foremost advocate of good governance and a fair and just society. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, becoming the first African to receive the honor. Soyinka has also been awarded 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, started by General Yakubu Gowon’s regime and completed in 1976 by General Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977, has since become a major centre for the performing arts in Nigeria. The renaming of the National Theatre after Soyinka follows President Tinubu’s recent naming of the Arterial Road N20 in Abuja in honor of the Nobel laureate. The President inaugurated the road, which runs from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) in Abuja, on June 4.
