Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has called for creation of an endowment fund for the Wole Soyinka Centre For Culture And Creative Arts formerly known as the National Arts Theatre in Lagos. Tinubu made the call during the official reopening of the Soyinka Centre on Wednesday in Lagos. Pinnacle Daily reports that President Tinubu had in …
Tinubu Calls for Endowment Fund for Wole Soyinka Centre
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has called for creation of an endowment fund for the Wole Soyinka Centre For Culture And Creative Arts formerly known as the National Arts Theatre in Lagos.
Tinubu made the call during the official reopening of the Soyinka Centre on Wednesday in Lagos.
Pinnacle Daily reports that President Tinubu had in July 2024 renamed the edifice, now known as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in honour of the Nobel Laureate.
The renovation of the Centre was funded and spearheaded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, the Lagos State government and the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy.
The president called on the CBN governor, Dr Olayemi Cardoso and other partners to set up the endowment fund, promising to contribute to it.
He said the endowment fund would help in maintenance of the facility and serve as an opportunity to create more jobs for the citizens.
“It is now left for Cardoso and others to put together an endowment fund, and I will contribute to it. It’s not a bad thing for us to use this opportunity to create jobs, maintain accessibility, and commitment. This place will not go dry again,” Tinubu stated.
He urged Nigerians to stop disparaging the country with negative narratives.
“Stop talking ill, negative of Nigeria. We know who we are. This is about believing in a nation of great people, confident and dedicated,” he stated.
While expressing optimism that the country will succeed, the president enjoined all to come together and work for it to come to reality.
“Let’s build it together, let’s rechristen it. If you have a bad dream, forget it. This country will succeed. Lift Nigeria, believe in Nigeria, put Nigeria first,” he advised.
The Nigerian leader further stated that the economy has recovered with his administration’s reforms in the last three years. He expressed confidence that if properly managed, it would lead to prosperity.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the state government has been a key stakeholder and a partner in the project.
Sanwo-Olu highlighted the strategic contribution of the state towards the project such as ensuring that the Lagos blue line rail passed through, with a dedicated stop at the centre.
He added that the state government gave an additional portion of land for the expansion and development of the center to a world-class creative hub.
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The governor paid special tribute to Professor Soyinka for his achievements, highlighting his literary works that were set in Lagos, reflecting the city’s enduring inspiration.
Speaking at the event, Cardoso thanked President Tinubu for his deep commitment to the project.
He said the Bankers Committee, the Lagos State government and the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy came together with a shared purpose to execute the project.
The CBN governor revealed that the Bankers Committee alone committed approximately 68 billion naira into the project.
He emphasised that their commitment to the project was not only as “corporate social responsibility, but as a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s cultural future.
“This project stands as proof that when the public and private sectors unite behind a shared national purpose, there is no limit to what Nigeria can achieve.”
He extended deep appreciation to the Bankers’ Committee, and the Lagos State Government for the strong infrastructural support, and to the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy for its coordination in delivering the project.
He noted the contribution of former Access Holdings CEO, late Dr Herbert Wigwe, in initiating the project, adding that his imagination and passion has remained an enduring inspiration in driving it.
He also thanked implementing partners whose expertise ensured its faithful realisation.
The CBN governor saluted Soyinka for his great contribution to society through literary work.
“In renaming this centre after a highly distinguished professor, Wole Soyinka, we honour a creative giant, Africa’s first Nobel laureate in literature, whose work has inspired generations and whose voice has been a moral compass for our nation,” Cardoso added.
He prayed that the center will continue to inspire generations of artists to follow the examples of Soyinka in truth, courage and creativity.
In his remarks, the Nobel Laureate thanked the Federal Government for the honour of renaming the centre after him and all those who were involved in renovating the edifice.
He said: “I want to thank you for this honour. Those of you who’ve been involved in it, including your president, who’s a great conspirator, who knows how to lay ambush here and there. It’s okay. This netted yet another victim, and I want to thank you. And for all those who’ll be using this hall, let me remind you that I really represent the preoccupation, the commitment, the commitment of others. My hope is that with the recreation of this building, this institution, we won’t be going all the way to Abu Dhabi to watch African theatre.”
Soyinka recalled how the building was first built during a military regime. “I think we called it the General’s Hat because of the shape of the roof. There’s, of course, in the conception, very little of what I call the African architectural intelligence in. In fact, it was an uprooted structure which the then Commissioner of Culture saw when they went to Bulgaria, and it was not a real theatre, it was a ballet de sport where people parade in honour of power and then do a bit of athletics just to show that they’re bringing in the people. I took one look at it and I just said, I’ll take that, but make it one and a half times the size because Nigeria is bigger than this country. And that’s how this building came to be.”
The Minister of Arts and Culture and Creative Economy, Barr. Hannatu Musawa, thanked the president for his strong support of the project.
She noted that the creative economy is recognised as a vital driver of diversification, of job creation and national pride under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu’s administration.
“Through new instruments such as the Creative Economy Development Fund and the Creative Tourism Infrastructure Corporation, which was approved by Mr President, we are building the enabling framework that will empower every single youth inside and outside Nigeria and attract investment and project Nigeria’s creativity to the world,” Musawa stated.
The minister extended her appreciation to the CBN, the Bankers’ Committee, the Lagos State government and other institutions for making it possible.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in mass communication.
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