President Bola Tinubu has honored Nigeria’s literary icon, Professor Wole Soyinka, by renaming the National Theatre in Lagos after him as he turns 90 on July 13, 2024.
In a statement issued by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu celebrated Soyinka, describing him as one of Nigeria’s finest minds and a global figure in literature. Soyinka, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, is the first African to receive this honor. The statement highlighted Soyinka’s contributions as a playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, actor, singer, composer, and documentarian.
The renaming of the National Theatre to The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts is a tribute to Soyinka’s impact on literature and his advocacy for good governance and justice. President Tinubu praised Soyinka for his unwavering stand against injustice and his role as a pro-democracy champion, especially during Nigeria’s struggle for democracy following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
“Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. When faced with a trial in absentia and death sentence by the military regime, he galvanized opposition in exile. His global stature made him the face of our struggle to restore democracy in Nigeria,” Tinubu said.
The President expressed his admiration for Soyinka’s influence on writers, scholars, and activists worldwide and wished him many more years of health and creative fulfillment.
Wole Soyinka has received numerous awards, including the Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature, the Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Europe Theatre Prize for Special Prize.
President Tinubu concluded by commending Soyinka’s dedication to fighting corruption and maladministration over several decades and celebrating his contributions to Nigeria’s cultural and political landscape.
