New Telegraph

How National Theatre upgrade’ll stimulate interest in creativity

Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Government and Central Bank of Nigeria/Bankers Committee for the Revamping and Restoration of the National Theatre, on Sunday, February 14, 2021, there has been renewed hope that government is set to give the arts and culture sector, indeed the creative sector, the badly needed attention and support that it deserves.
That the arts and culture is imperative for national development cannot be overemphasized. Culture is “one of the main pillars of development and sustenance of communities and no society can progress in its absence.” Thus, the federal government’s decision to revamp and return the National Arts Theatre to its glory days as the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria was greeted with excitement and renewed hope that it will not only provide employment but also stimulate interest in the arts and culture sector. Although, the signing of the MoU generated different reactions from the citizenry, many see it as a significant effort to drive growth in creative industry.
The signing of the MOU and contract awards was witnessed by the host Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos State, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, General Manager/CEO of National Theatre, Prof Sunday Ododo, and the Director of Legal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr. Nnanna Ibom, in a very colour ceremony held at the Entrance ‘A’ of the National Theatre.
Aside, the restoration of the iconic edifice, the Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre (LC&EC) is to be created inside the National Theatre Complex. The LC&EC will consist of four Hubs: Films, Music, Information Technology (IT) and Fashion.
In his remark, the CBN Governor has projected that the upgrade of the theatre will create at least 10,000 direct and indirect jobs during the project’s construction phase. This is in addition to the 25,000 employees that will be engaged in different sections of the monument when the ‘Signature Cluster’ of the building is completed, which, according to him, will consist of a building each for music, film, fashion and information technology verticals.
“The revamp of the National Theatre to a world-class creative hub would position it to attract local hospitality and international tourism prospects, and thereby, boost the sector’s GDP contribution.
“The building’s renovation would attract investment in the already booming sector,” he said, adding that a growing revenue from the arts, entertainment and recreation sector might also relax the government’s over-dependence on the oil and gas sector.
Emefiele is optimistic that the handover will stimulate growth in the industry, noting the country can earn over $20 billion yearly from the creative industry and over one million jobs is expected to be created in five years.
Speaking before the signing, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, assured that the renovation will not lead to a single job loss, stressing that rather it will lead to the creation of at least 10,000 direct jobs.
This signing of this MoU, it will be recalled, is the culmination of a journey that started July 12, 2020 when the National Theatre was officially handed over to the CBN and Bankers Committee for restoration and upgrade.
Also, this signing coming merely days after the Wednesday 10th February, 2021 FEC (Federal Executive Committee) approval shows the seriousness and speed being committed into this project. And from the pictorial projections which the Project Managers put on display, the National Theatre is expected to regain its position as the number one event Centre in Africa upon completion.
An architectural masterpiece, the National Theatre is a cultural landmark located in Iganmu, Lagos. Its construction was completed in 1976 in preparation for the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, tagged FESTAC ‘77, held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January to 12 February 1977.
After the hosting of the epochal event, the edifice has served as a major events venue and hosted several local and international activities including musical concerts, film shows, exhibitions, dramas, symposia, workshops and conventions. It was then the hub of arts and cultural activities in Lagos, the nation’s former capital. For instance, in the 80s to the early 90s the National Theatre was the venue of choice for various live theatre activities and film shows, including ‘Aiye’, ‘Jaiyesimi’, ‘Aropin N’Tenia’, ‘Ayanmo’ by the late Doyen of Nigerian theatre, Hubert Ogunde; ‘Rise and Fall of Oyenusi’, ‘Death of a Black President’, ‘Apalara’, ‘Omiran’ by the late Eddie Ugbomah, ‘Orun Mooru’, ‘Aare Agbaye’, ‘Mosebolatan’, ‘Obee Gbona’, by the late Moses Olaiya Adejumo, popularly known as Baba Sala; ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Ajani Ogun’ by the late Adeyemi Afolayan, popularly known as Ade Love, among several others.
Significantly, no other edifice, theatre house, or cinema can be compared to the National Theatre in terms of facilities. Apart from the exhibition hall, two cinema halls, the banquet hall, and the VIP hall, the National Theatre also has a 5,000-seater main bowl. No other venue in Nigeria has this capacity. The design of the Main Hall is suggestive of the traditional arena-type stage unique to Africa. It has a collapsible stage and an auditorium. When in proscenium, the hall has the capacity of 3,500 seats. The cinema screen in the hall is fixed at the ceiling and can be lowered by remote control. The stage has three rows of curtains, a backdrop and double cyclorama for creating silhouette effects, etc. It is easily amenable to any directional concept.
It would be recalled that major live theatres performances such as Wole Soyinka’s ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’, ‘The Lion and the Jewel’; Ola Rotimi’s ‘The Gods Are Not To Blame’, ‘Ovonramven Nogbaisi’, ‘Hopes of The Living Dead’ and scores of others were staged at the National Theatre… Besides, it also provided a fitting venue for most of the productions by National Troupe of Nigeria before the Troupe went into ‘coma’.
However, by mid-90s, its fortunes began a slow but steady decline following years of deterioration due to non-maintenance and mismanagement. The 5000-capacity Main Bowl has not been put to use since 1992. The other halls run skeletal services, at best, which are mostly non-cultural or artistic events. Curiously, for most part of the past two decades when the culture edifice was not put in optimal use, government lost over N300 billion.
It is therefore not surprising that practitioners and filmmakers had to look elsewhere to showcase their productions, thus, the growing influence of Terra Kulture, MUSON Centre, Silverbird Galleria, FilmOne House among other as venues of choice in Lagos today.
The intervention of the current administration through the CBN and Bankers Committee is therefore seen as a major effort towards the restoration and upgrade of the complex, which when completed will not only return the monument to its glorious days but also expand its capacity to serve as a major hub of activities for the creative industry.
In an interview with New Telegraph, Frank Momoh, founder and President of the FROT Group of Companies, an avid art collector who has organized different art shows and exhibitions to boost Nigeria’s talented artists, said it is a welcome development, adding that it is time to step up and do the needful.
“I think it is a welcome development… I commend the federal government, the Bankers Committee and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other stakeholders because it is very important; we must understand that it is a huge value chain and there are stakeholders in this value chain. An art collector like myself is a stakeholder. I know a couple of art collectors who can contribute immensely to ensuring that this is implemented and that our pride is back again. The last time we had a national pride in terms of cultural heritage was in 1977 when Nigeria hosted FESTAC, and was tagged FESTAC 77, and that was a plus, and we are still riding on that glory till this day. I think it is time for us to step up and do the needful,” Momoh said.

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