Tinubu Renames National Arts Theatre after Soyinka
Tinubu honors Soyinka, renames National Arts Theatre...
President Bola Tinubu honors Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka by renaming the National Arts Theatre in Lagos after him, celebrating his 90th birthday and contributions to Nigerian literature and culture.
President Bola Tinubu honors Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka by renaming the National Arts Theatre in Lagos after him, celebrating his 90th birthday and contributions to Nigerian literature and culture.
President Bola Tinubu has honored Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka by naming the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos State after him. This gesture celebrates Soyinka's remarkable contributions to the arts and his iconic status in Nigerian culture.
In a heartfelt letter, President Tinubu commemorated Soyinka's 90th birthday by announcing this prestigious recognition. The renaming of the National Arts Theatre acknowledges Soyinka's enduring impact on Nigerian literature and his global reputation as a literary giant.
“It is also fitting we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with us,” he said.
“I am, accordingly, delighted 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.
“We do not only celebrate Soyinka's remarkable literary achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity and justice.”
The president added, “Professor Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades as he marks the milestone of 90 years on earth.
“Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.”
The professor served as an editorial board advisor for Encyclopaedia Britannica in 2005.
Soyinka participated actively in the democratic movement as well, fighting alongside people against the military government.
“Beginning from his 20s, he took personal risks for the sake of our nation,” the president said.
“His courage was evident when he attempted to broker peace at the start of the civil war in 1967.
“Despite deprivation and solitary confinement, his resolve to speak truth to power and fight for the marginalized was further strengthened.
“His early writing, such as 'The Lion and the Jewel,' 'Death and the King's Horseman', not only testified to his mastery of language, his innovative storytelling, but also his unflinching commitment to enthroning a fair and just society.
“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.”
Tinubu highlighted Soyinka's critiques of racism in the US and apartheid in South Africa while describing Soyinka as a Nigerian whose influence transcends national boundaries.
“I wish Professor Soyinka an incredibly happy 90th birthday,” Tinubu said.
“May he continue to inspire us all to build a nation where people are free from oppression and our teeming youths can live up to their dreams without being wasted generation.”
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