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| National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos |
Following the speculation that the federal government
planned to convert National Theatre, Lagos, to a five-Star hotel, Minister for
Arts, Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, has said that there was no way an
edifice such as the National Theatre could be converted to a hotel because it
was not designed for that purpose.
Duke who made this statement recently in Lagos also said
that a committee that consisted of representatives of the Federal Ministry of
Housing, Infrastructural Regulations Committee and Surveyor General, was set up
in September 2012, to look into the possibility of Public Private Partnership
(PPP) in the management of the facility.
Furthermore, he revealed that the committee engaged VGL
Consultants, a foreign consulting firm, to look into ways of turning around the
surroundings of the theatre.
“The theatre ground had empty space with smelly water,
which should be rehabilitated and the land turned into a five-star hotel, a
shopping mall, offices, leisure spots and car parks. This was designed 37 years
ago, when the theatre was built but because of lack of funds, the plan did not
come up. We issued a quit notice to National Gallery of Arts (NGA), National
Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) so
that the plan can be materialised,” the minister said.
He said that the affected offices had their headquarters
in Abuja and that the offices they occupy in Lagos are shanty houses and the
land belongs to National Theatre.
In the same vein, the General Manager of the National
Theatre, Mr Kabir Yusuf said proper evaluation of the theatre would be
conducted within three months. He added that adverts would be placed in
newspapers for interested firms to bid for the development. He revealed that the
main bowl of the National Theatre needs about N4 billion to put it back in
shape but there is no fund to make it work. “So, we have to source for funds,
we can’t allow an edifice like that to die just like that. It is a symbol of
culture,” he said.
The 37-year-old
edifice was inaugurated on September 30, 1976 by the then Military Head of
State,
It would be
recalled that Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Edem Duke,
gave two weeks quit notice to Federal Government agencies including National
Troupe of Nigeria, National Council for Arts and Culture and Nigeria Gallery of
Arts to move out of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.
Dated March 18,
the minster’s letter reads: “The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed
Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, GCFR, has approved the development of the National Theatre Land in
accordance with the original Masterplan with infrastructures which include, but
not limited to a Five-Star Hotel, Shopping Mall, Multi-Level Car Park, Land and
Water Restaurant, offices. Consequently, a Transaction Advisor was engaged, to,
among others give Transaction Advisory Services for the application of
Public-Private Partnership option for the delivery of the necessary services on
the land.
“Please recall
that the inevitability of relocating your office was discussed at the meeting I
had with you on this development on 5th of March, 2013 in Lagos. To this
effect, you are hereby advised to relocate your office within two (2) weeks to
an alternative location as suggested at the meeting, so as to pave way for the
development that is to be situated where your office is currently located.
“Please note that
this relocation is temporary as the structures that will eventually provide
accommodation for your operations are being envisaged under the new
arraignment. As we solicit for your understanding and cooperation, we assure
you that the efforts of the government in providing these infrastructural
facilities as complementary to the National Theatre, as it is with other
Theatres in other parts of the world will be a thing of pride when completed.
Please accept the assurances of my best regards,” the letter stated.
The 37-year-old
edifice was inaugurated on September 30, 1976 by the then Military Head of
State, General Olusegun Obasanjo. It was commissioned few months before the
Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77) in
January/February.
According to Wikipedia, the exterior of the
5000-seater theatre is shaped like a military hat. The Main Hall has a
collapsible stage, and two 700-800 capacity cinema halls all of which are
equipped with facilities for simultaneous translation of eight languages.
Built primarily as a centre for the performing arts, it
bubbles mostly during public holidays but other cinemas and event centres have
replaced the once biggest Theatre in our Africa. Ace comedian, Alli Baba two
days ago posted on a social network that “Gone are the days when the main bowl
of National Theatre was busier than Eko Expo hall.” This statement corroborates
with a statement that National Theatre is now a ghost of itself.
In 2001, the then
president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo announced
plans to privatize the National Arts Theatre and this sparked controversy
amongst Nigerian entertainers and playwrights including Professor Wole Soyinka.
Also, there have
been mixed reactions over the latest development and some people are
speculating that the Federal Government wants to sell the edifice which may be
turned to a hotel.
One
of Nigeria's best actors, Nobert Akpojerharo Young, has expressed
disappointment over the new arrangement. He spoke to a radio station in Lagos recently
and said: “Art world cannot survive so it needs a theatre. Selling the National
Theatre is like selling your umbilical cord. That is the way I see it. It is
our only pride because all over the world, National Theatre is where arts and
culture are nurtured. Culture defines who you are. That is why Professor Femi
Osofisan said “people who don’t know their culture is like a tree without
roots.” Late Fela Anikulapo also said that “Who is teacher ...Culture and
tradition.”
The veteran actor adds: “The only structure we
have for our culture and tradition is what our government wants to sell for
them to build hotel, which is frivolity.”
But
some people believe that the Federal Government wants to give out an empty
space beside the edifice not the building, but Young maintained that: “The
government supposed to be allocating annual budget for the maintenance of the
theatre.”
He advised the government to change the
president of the National Theatre if they feel they are not doing enough.
“Dr.
Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and
Publicity is a Theatre Arts graduate. He is the second First Class Arts
graduate in Nigeria after Zulu Adigwe. He should advise Mr. President to leave
our National pride alone.
“Former
governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu once said that if the Federal Government
wants to sell National Theatre, they should make sure it goes back to Lagos
State to use for the good of the people.”
He
suggested that the Federal Government should sponsor a project that pertains to
culture and leave the National Theatre.”
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