Tinubu renames National Arts Theatre after Wole Soyinka on 90th birthday

The National Arts Theatre has been renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts to celebrate the renowned writer’s 90th birthday.

The renaming of the iconic art rendezvous was announced by President Bola Tinubu.

The president disclosed this in a tribute written and signed by him on Friday, July 12 to mark Soyinka’s 90th birthday.

“I am 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.

“We do not only celebrate Soyinka’s remarkable literary achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity and justice,” said the president.
He said he joined admirers worldwide in celebrating the 90th birthday of the world-renowned Soyinka.

“Tomorrow, July 13, 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 poetry reading, was held in Rabat, Morocco, on July 9, an event organised by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA),” said the president.

Continuing, the president said, “Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work. It is also fitting that we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with us.”

Soyinka is the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986. The iconic writer has been described in many quarters as a colossus, a true renaissance person blessed with innumerable talents, who always speaks truth to power.