President Bola Tinubu has announced the renaming of the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, to honor Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka.
This significant gesture was conveyed in a letter personally signed by President Tinubu, coinciding with Soyinka’s 90th birthday celebration.
“I am pleased to join admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s iconic son and the world-renowned Professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde, famously known as Wole Soyinka,” President Tinubu wrote. He noted that July 13 would mark the climax of a series of local and international activities held in Soyinka’s honor.
Highlighting Soyinka’s global impact, Tinubu mentioned a symposium and poetry reading held on July 9 in Rabat, Morocco, organized by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA).
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Professor Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, has received widespread acclaim for his contributions to literature and his unwavering advocacy for equity and justice. “Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work,” President Tinubu noted.
In his letter, the President emphasized the importance of celebrating Soyinka’s achievements while he is still with us. “I am, accordingly, 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.”
Tinubu praised Soyinka’s vast literary accomplishments and his role as a vocal critic of oppression and injustice globally. “When he turned 80, I struggled to find words to encapsulate his achievements because they were simply too vast. Since then, he has added to his corpus with his series of interventions, which have been published in many volumes.”
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The President described Soyinka as a “colossus” and a “true Renaissance person,” lauding his multifaceted talents as a playwright, actor, poet, human rights and political activist, composer, and singer. “He is a giant bestriding not just the literary world but our nation, Africa, and the world.
He remains the shining light of our nation, the gadfly that pokes our national soul, decrying tyranny and oppression and urging us to become better as a nation.”
Reflecting on Soyinka’s lifetime of activism, Tinubu recounted his attempts to broker peace at the start of the Nigerian civil war in 1967, his imprisonment, and his continued advocacy for democracy and justice. “Despite deprivation and solitary confinement, his resolve to speak truth to power and fight for the marginalized was further strengthened,” Tinubu wrote.
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Tinubu also highlighted Soyinka’s role in Nigeria’s democratic struggles, particularly his opposition to the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. “When faced with a trial in absentia and a death sentence by the military regime at home, he galvanized 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.”
President Tinubu concluded by celebrating Soyinka’s profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists. “I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country. I celebrate him for his enduring spirit and for teaching us that literature and drama can be used as powerful tools to challenge the status quo. I wish Professor Soyinka an incredibly happy 90th birthday.”