National Theatre, Nigeria

The National Theatre, Nigeria is the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria. It shares the same architectural design as the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria, and it is four times bigger.^[1] The monument is located in Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos. Its construction was completed in 1976 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977.

In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu renamed the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, in honor of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.^[2]

Construction of The National Theatre was started by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon and completed during the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. By the year 2021, this edifice had been run by a number of management teams with heads such as Jimmy Folorunso Atte (1991 – August 1999), Prof Babafemi A. Osofisan (2000 – 2004), Dr. Ahmed Parker Yerima (2006 – Aug 2009), Kabir Yusuf (2009 – 2016), George Ufot, (Late) Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Oyedepo, Sunday Enessi Ododo (2020–present) ^{[citation needed]}

The National Theatre exterior was designed, shaped and built to look like a military hat. It originally has capacity for a 5,000-seat Main Hall with a collapsible stage, and two capacity cinema halls, all of which are equipped with facilities for simultaneous translation of 8 languages; among others.^{[citation needed]}

The National Theatre, Nigeria was designed and constructed by Bulgarian construction company (Techno Exporstroy). Alhaji Sule Katagum was a co-owner and also their chairman. It resembles the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria (completed in 1968); the National Theatre Lagos, Nigeria being the bigger of the two.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, President Olusegun Obasanjo announced plans to privatise the National Theatre. This sparked controversy amongst Nigerian entertainers and playwrights like Wole Soyinka^[3] On 30 December 2014, it was reported that the National Theatre has been sold to a Dubai-based conglomerate for the sum of 31.5 billion naira, and that the building will be converted to a duty-free shopping centre.^[4]

Filming for the "Keys to the Kingdom" video in Beyonce's visual album Black is King took place at the National Arts Theatre, Lagos.^[5]
Burna Boy performed a medley of his hits "Level Up", "Onyeka" and "Ye" in front of and inside the building, during the Premiere ceremony of the 63rd Grammy Awards, on 2 March 2021.^[6] Later that week, his album Twice as Tall won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album.^[7]