By Akeem Lasisi
As if he was a character in a stage play, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, played the role of a tale bearer about two weeks ago. A bearer of glad tidings, that is. During his visit to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly called the National Arts Theatre, the Governor excitedly gave an update on the progress recorded so far in the redevelopment of the 47 years old monument. According to him, the regeneration effort is real and nearing the climax, adding that the place would be launched in a matter of months.
The centre’s No. 1 landlord’s declaration is a piece of great news that many members of the creative and general business community had been longing to hear. These are people who appreciate the role the iconic asset has played in the past. With the intervention of the Bankers’ Committee, in a deal brokered by the Federal Government, it is believed that the ‘new’ theatre will radically impact the creative scene.
Ironically, when Sanwo-olu expressed delight at the success of the intervention, some people wondered why he was so excited at seeing the monument return to life. Such folks wondered why he takes so much interest in it since it belongs to the Federal Government and ‘not’ Lagos State. While the argument is just one of those online rants that are not a product of deep reflection, it is not a bad idea to think aloud on what the mega facility means for Lagos and, invariably for the governor. Firstly, it should be noted that the edifice is a pride of Lagos. Its strategic location and beautiful structure make it a major tourist centre in the city. If it is run down, it becomes a huge minus and an eyesore. Now that it is being massively renovated and expanded, Lagos thus has the cause to be happy and applaud the regeneration.
Also, being the centre of the creative enterprise in Nigeria, Lagos needs a mega centre like the Soyinka centre to be alive and kicking. For musical and dramatic performances, film screening, arts exhibitions and fashion shows, it has no rival if in the best shape. Here, for instance, is a profile of its strategic facilities: It boasts Cinema Halls 1 & 2, the Marquee, Banquet Hall, VIP Lounge and the Roof Garden. The one, however, unique to it is the Main Hall, whose design is suggestive of the traditional arena-type stage unique to Africa.
“This hall is capable of sitting 5,000 people. 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. Versatile for many events, the hall is ideal for major musical concerts, drama and film shows just as it could handle indoor sporting activities like tennis, wrestling and boxing”, the theatre management notes on its website. A working National Theatre is, indeed, a comprehensive blessing to the entertainment industry which the Sanwo-Olu government has been working hard to strengthen, as it is enshrined in its T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda.
An earlier visit and inspection by the Bankers’ Committee revealed that the facilities were upgraded to match the best standards of theatre and performance in the world. The entire Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system was replaced, fire safety standards upgraded, power, water supply and sewage systems were all replaced. There has also been the upgrade of interior design with the installations of Audio Video Lighting, world stage engineering system, 11 lifts, solar power, new furniture for spaces and restoration of artworks including those on the internal wall panels and the building façade.
On the Bankers’ Committee’s restoration of the National Theatre, Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje. had said, “I don’t think there are many countries in Africa that have the talent that we have in entertainment and the arts. All you can do when you have talented people, is to give them a platform to showcase their best. We will try to give a platform, where Nigerians who are in my opinion the best, have a chance to show the world that they are the best.”
On the other hand, the restored facility will help Lagos in checking congestion and traffic malady. It will help absorb some of the Lagos crowds and traffic. These include artists and producers, audiences and other fun seekers, as well as stakeholders in other sectors, whose interests are also taken care of in the expansion and renovation deal. Interestingly, unlike some other mega centres that at times cause traffic because of their proximity to major roads, the Wole Soyinka Arena hardly compete with any road or street. Of course, it also commands an expansive parking space. So, naturally, the state government will love to have on board a centre that does not contribute to its traffic control hassles.
One other important reason Sanwo-Olu should gladly announce the progress at the venue is that it has the potential to contribute to its economy in terms of revenue generation. The various businesses that will rise and thrive on the soil of the revived ‘General’s Cap’ — as the theatre is otherwise called based on its design — will bless the state with taxes, which will, in turn, boost its capacity to create a better enabling environment.
No wonder, it was a fulfilled Sanwo-Olu that could not wait for the facility to bounce back to life when he visited. He commended the Bankers’ Committee and stakeholders in the creative sector, which collaborated with the Lagos State Government to transform it to bring back the glory of the edifice to meet international standards.
He said: “I am truly excited at the work the Bankers Committee has been able to do. They have truly shown us that when we put our minds to things as a country and as a people, we can get the best out of ourselves. When we all came here four or five years ago, we were discouraged and saddened by what we saw at one of our national treasures. But what has happened in the last four to five years, and with what we see today during our tour, we have brought back the old glory even in a bigger, better, and more transformative way. I commend all the professionals and companies that have put this together.
“I think it is going to be a place where international audiences will see that we are ready to take the world by storm in entertainment, tourism, creativity and, more importantly, business conferences and seminars that we all go to attend in other parts of the world. It is a one-stop shop that has everything you can imagine, comparable to any other world conference centre. It also has an additional flavour of arts and culture.
“By the way, the Blue Line train that we built all around here speaks to the entire infrastructure that has made this place a complete stop for Nigerians. The newly rebirth Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts is on the way to open its door to the public, courtesy of the Lagos State Government and the Bankers Committee that have done the work”.
