Why I accepted National Theatre Renaming – Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has explained why he accepted the renaming of the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos State, after him.

The Nobel laureate expressed his reservations on the revamping of the monument.

Speaking at the reopening of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, the former National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, Soyinka declared he was willing to “eat his words.” He stated that this concession was made because the monumental turn-around of the theatre complex was the resulting achievement.

Despite his long-standing criticism of past leaders known for appropriating public monuments, he confessed to accepting the honour, albeit with mixed feelings.

“I have to stand up in public and watch my name being put up as yet another appropriator. It just didn’t seem very well for me,” he said.

He explained that before the renovation of the edifice, he thought it was irredeemable, but the Bankers’ Committee “made me eat my words.”’

He acknowledged Bankers’ Committee effort calling it “a great job” in bringing the edifice to global standards. He said that with the recreation of the edifice, Nigerians can now watch Africa Theatre at home instead of travelling abroad.

Soyinka said, “And one of the reasons was, I nearly electrocuted two of my actors. That is how they crept into my car. The roofs were leaking, so the pools of water were everywhere.  And of course, there were electric wires also.

“One other reason is nostalgia. I remember this building when it was first erected, when we did it originally. I think we called it General’s Hat, because of the shape of the roof. There’s a constant re-conception very little of what I call the African architectural intelligence in it.

“Then there’s another reason why I thought I should accept.