As CBN Breathes Life into Moribund National Theatre

Oluchi Chibuzor

Nigeria’s National Theatre in Lagos is one of those instantly recognisable landmarks that people connect with a city. It’s the image that should be on a postcard to show you have visited. A feat of architecture and celebration of culture that Nigerians should be proudly pointing out to the visitors that arrive in Lagos every day.

Completed in 1976, just in time for it to play a critical role in the delivery of the seminal 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) the National Theatre was set to be the centrepiece of Nigeria’s vibrant arts and culture sector for decades to come.

But what should still be a living demonstration of our cultural and artistic heritage, was sadly allowed to deteriorate. The National Theatre had been comatose for nearly 30 years. Time in which tens of millions of younger Nigerians should have had the opportunity to experience the physical art that was literally built into the walls by leading artist Erhabor Emokpae. Time in which some estimates say more than N300 billion in potential income could have been collected, through the delivery of cultural events.

In 2020, following a series of failed attempts at privatisation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bankers Committee collectively agreed to invest over N65 billion to rehabilitate the National Theatre and return it to its former glory, working closely with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (FMIC), the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the Lagos State Government.

By bringing together the FMIC mandate to promote and capacitate Nigeria’s creative sector, with the Central Bank’s development finance capabilities, focus on deepening the creative sector and convening power, with the resources and commitment of Nigeria’s banks, the right partners were put in place to finally address the problems.

Despite initial scepticism about the viability of the model, the fact that the Theatre will host a major tourism event this week, and is on track for completion in March 2023, is a clear demonstration that it has delivered on its mission. Nigeria’s national theatre is set to retake its position at heart of our cultural renaissance.

With three decades of decay to fix while preserving the artwork that was literally built into the original design, the project is one of both modernisation and preservation. More than 70 historic sculptures, mosaics, resin, brass and wood friezes and stained glass artworks form part of the original design, with each needing to be protected during renovation, or in some cases, removed and restored before being replaced.

The VIP entrance features a polyester resin frieze by Emokpae, wrapped around the front of the theatre’s facade, with a magnificent Queen Idia mask at its centre while two mosaics by Empokpae welcome visitors to the right and left of the entrance. On the first floor a sculpture of faces by Isiaka Osunde has been carved out of ten blocks of wood to welcome people to the theatre, and on the top floor, the famous Yusuf Grillo was commissioned to create the imposing stained glass windows. These are all priceless contributions to Nigeria’s art history, and a living embodiment of the culture that it celebrates. They represent perhaps the greatest collection of modernist art held in a public institution in Nigeria today. Each has been carefully and lovingly restored.

It is not just the art that has to be preserved and protected. The theatre sits on a large plot of land with significant eco-diversity and so conservationists have been advising on how to ensure the unique environment around it is also restored and can be maintained.

The work being done could not be happening at a more important time. Today, just like in 1976, when Nigeria was building up to FESTAC 77 Nigerian art, food and music is growing in popularity globally, driving a wave of interest in our country and culture. Nigerian musicians like Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido dominate the airwaves in the West. Nigerian art is at the vanguard of a renaissance in African art, with interest having grown progressively over the last decade, and Nigerian food is now not just available to the Diaspora, but is crossing over into the mainstream restaurant scene in cities around the world.

It is entirely appropriate then, that following the completion of the first phase of renovation (the full process is due to be completed in March 2023), the National Theatre will open its doors to host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and Federal Government of Nigeria conference on ‘linking tourism, culture and the creative industries: Pathways to recovery and inclusive development’ between November 14th and 16th 2022. There could be no better topic to discuss at the venue that was built to be both a living embodiment of Nigeria’s culture, and a venue to showcase, convene and celebrate it.

When the rehabilitation works are complete in March, the National Theatre will be restored to its original glory. A 5,000 seater main amphitheatre comparable to anything else in the world will sit at its heart, flanked by two world class cinema rooms, banquet halls and a library.

But this project is not just about restoring a building, it is about creating an ecosystem of support for the creative sector, as part of what is called the Lagos Creative & Entertainment Centre (LC&EC). The theatre itself will be at the heart of a larger development of hubs focused on supporting emerging talent in the music, film, fashion and IT sectors. The creative hubs will be built on portions of land within the 44Ha site. The first phase known as the “Signature Cluster” consists of a building each for Fashion, Music, Film, and IT and support facilities including a 250-car park block, a police station, a fire station, and a visitors’ Welcome Centre which will house commercial and retail facilities, administration & management offices.

Achieving this vision will require discipline, support and focus. Learning the lessons from the past, the project is putting in place a strong governance structure, separating responsibility for maintenance and operations, from the commercial arm which will drive revenue and ensure that a sustainable business model is implemented.

The vision for what this asset can be, and achieve for Nigeria, is limitless. It is up to us to now make it come true,