Nigerian President, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has renamed the National Theatre in Iganmu Lagos, after Professor Wole Soyinka. This announcement was made in a birthday message to the Nobel Laureate, who is set to celebrate his 90th birthday, on Saturday, July 13th 2024.
The President said “I am pleased to join admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s iconic son and the world-renowned professor, Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde, famously known as Wole Soyinka.
“Tomorrow the 13th of July will be the climax of the series of local and international activities held in his honour. To underscore the global relevance of the literary giant, a symposium along with a poetry reading was held in Rabat, Morocco on 9th July. The event was organized by the academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA).
“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”
“It is also fitting we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with us.
“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,” Tinubu announced.
He praised Soyinka’s profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists.
“He gave us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country,” Tinubu said.
The President added, “he taught us that literature and drama can be powerful tools to challenge the status quo.”
