At the grand opening of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu praised CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso and the Bankers’ Committee for refurbishing the 49-year-old National Theatre.
Governor Cardoso described the Centre as a symbol of renewal unveiled on Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day. He noted that the banking sector invested ₦68 billion in the renovation through a public–private partnership with Lagos State.
“This edifice has stood for nearly half a century as a proud symbol of our heritage… Today, that day has come,” Cardoso said, adding that its renaming in 2024 reflected President Tinubu’s vision to place culture at the heart of national revival.
He lauded collaborators including Lagos State, the Ministry of Arts, Segun Agbaje, Sanex Creatives, and paid tribute to the late Herbert Wigwe. Cardoso honoured Nigeria’s artistic heroes including Chinua Achebe, Flora Nwapa, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Ben Enwonwu, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and many others, while celebrating new voices in Afrobeats, Nollywood, fashion, and digital innovation.
Prof. Wole Soyinka expressed gratitude, affirming the Centre as a beacon of creativity, identity, and unity for generations to come.
