Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing refurbishment of the newly renamed Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in Iganmu, Lagos. The Centre, formerly known as the National Arts Theatre, is expected to be completed and opened to the public in about four months.
Speaking during a tour of the facility, Governor Sanwo-Olu remarked, “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.”
Reflecting on the transformation of the Centre over the past four years, Sanwo-Olu added, “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… we have brought back the old glory even in a bigger, better, and more transformative way.”
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Governor Sanwo-Olu commended the collaborative efforts of the Bankers Committee and stakeholders in the creative sector, emphasizing that the revamped Centre would become a hub for arts, tourism, and international events. “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,” he said.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe, also spoke on the significance of the project, noting, “The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, when completed, would compete favourably with the international community as a tourist attraction. It would also promote the entertainment industry, take a lot of youth off the street, and generate employment opportunities for many Nigerians in the creative industry.”