President Bola Tinubu has announced the renaming of the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, to The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in honour of Professor Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday on July 13, 2024.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the President expressed his heartfelt congratulations to Nigeria’s literary giant and global icon.
According to the statement, Soyinka has made remarkable contributions as a playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, actor, singer, composer, and documentarian.
The president praised Soyinka as a staunch advocate for good governance and a fair society, noting his historic achievement as the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.
Tinubu described Soyinka as “one of the finest minds of his generation, steadfast in his fight against injustice and oppression.”
He said: “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 galvanised 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 further commended Soyinka for his significant influence on writers, scholars, and activists worldwide, and for his enduring efforts as a pro-democracy champion and vocal opponent of corruption.
“I am, accordingly, delighted to have the honor 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,” he announced.
Tinubu extended his wishes for many more years of good health and creative fulfillment to Soyinka, celebrating him as a global force for change.
