“Nigeria will not disintegrate in my arms” — President
Once a fading monument, the National Theatre in Lagos yesterday came alive again as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu unveiled its transformation into the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Arts — a sprawling cultural hub reborn at a cost of N68 billion.
For Tinubu, the renaming was more than symbolic. It was a salute to the life and legacy of Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, a man he called “one of our greatest assets to the world.”
The President, recalling the theatre’s heydays of global festivals and iconic performances, commended the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and the Bankers’ Committee for “breathing life into our national heritage.” He urged the creation of an endowment fund to ensure the centre never returns to decay.
Beyond the cultural renaissance, Tinubu used the moment to rally national confidence. “Nigeria will not disintegrate in my arms,” he vowed. “Our greatness is assured.”
For Cardoso, who completed the rehabilitation begun under his predecessor, the project is an investment in Nigeria’s creative future. Integrated with the Lagos Blue Line Rail, the centre now houses cinemas, exhibition halls, and a world-class library — “a beacon of innovation and unity,” he said.
Soyinka, honoured yet amused, quipped that he was “ambushed” by the gesture. Still, he expressed hope that the centre would mark a turning point, ensuring African culture finds its home not abroad, but in Africa itself.
