President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigeria will not disintegrate under his watch.
This is just as he asked Nigerians to stop talking about the country in the negative tone.
Tinubu spoke on Wednesday while unveiling the renovated Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly known as the National Arts Theatre in Lagos.
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Tinubu arrived at the venue at about 6:24 p.m for the reopening ceremony of the monument.
The President had in July 2024 renamed the edifice the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in honour of the Nobel Laureate.
The renovation of the Centre was funded and overseen by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee.
The Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy provided policy direction and oversight, guiding the transformation of the facility into a national asset and a launchpad for Nigeria’s creative industries.
At the unveiling on Wednesday, Tinubu was joined by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, H.E. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Emir of Kano, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, and the host of the occasion, Professor Wole Soyinka.
Speaking at the event, Tinubu reiterated his position that the worst is over the economic crisis and urged Nigerians to believe in themselves and give others hope they need.
“From now on like I said yesterday, the worst is over, the economy has recovered. I’m confident that prosperity will come. Believe in yourself and give everybody the hope they need. Lift the spirit of our people.
“This is the giant of Africa, it won’t fall on you, it wont disintegrate in my hand,” he said.
He also urged Nigerians to stop talking about the country in the negative tone.
“Tonight, let me say something that is very important to me, to you, government and Nigerians in diaspora, which is – stop talking about Nigeria in the negative tone. This is a country of very proud people. It is about ourselves, believing in something we inherited from our parents and great forebearers. A nation of great people, confident and dedicated.
“Let’s build it together, this country will succeed and it is with you, myself and many other people who may not be here.
“Please, lift Nigeria, believe in Nigeria, put Nigeria first. That’s all I need to emphasize tonight. It has been a wonderful evening, I have enjoyed myself.”
Tinubu described Soyinka as one of the greatest assets of the world, saying he has contributed to nation building, courage and freedom.
“So, it couldn’t have been anything else and I know definitely you (referring to Soyinka) will not disobey this president. I said it has to be Wole Soyinka Centre,” Tinubu said.
In his welcome remarks, the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, said the Wole Soyinka Centre is more than a renovation, but a rebirth.
He said the centre’s iconic silhouette has been preserved while delivering world-class performance halls, cinema spaces, exhibition galleries, an African literature library,
rehearsal rooms, media and medical facilities, and fully modernised
infrastructure.
According to him, the surrounding grounds now offer gardens, outdoor exhibition
areas, upgraded access, and seamless integration with the Lagos Blue Line
rail, placing culture at the heart of city life.
He said “This edifice has stood for nearly half a century as a proud symbol of our
heritage. Completed in 1976 and inaugurated at FESTAC ’77, it became a
beacon of African creativity and a repository of our shared history. Many here
will recall both its golden years of cultural vibrancy and the long period of
neglect that followed. Even in silence, however, the Theatre remained the
soul of our cultural identity, awaiting revival. Today, that day has come.
“The performances we have witnessed today by ensembles from across
Nigeria bring this Centre to life and remind us that its true power lies not only
in its architecture but in the voices, movements, and stories it will host.
“Allow me to emphasize that none of this would have been possible without
extraordinary partnerships. The Central Bank of Nigeria, the Bankers’
Committee, the Lagos State Government, and the Ministry of Art, Culture, and
the Creative Economy came together with a shared purpose to deliver this
national project, with the Bankers’ Committee alone committing
approximately ₦68 billion, not as corporate social responsibility but as a
deliberate investment in Nigeria’s cultural future. This project stands as proof
that when the public and private sectors unite behind a shared national
purpose, there is no limit to what Nigeria can achieve.”
Responding, Soyinka said “In all seriousness, I want to thank you for this honour. Those of you who’ve been involved in it, including your president, who’s a great conspirator, who knows how to lay ambush here and there. It’s okay. This netted yet another victim, and I want to thank you. And for all those who’ll be using this hall, let me remind you that I really represent the preoccupation, the commitment, the commitment of others. My hope is that with the recreation of this building, this institution, we won’t be going all the way to Abu Dhabi to watch African theatre.”
