The Bankers’ Committee has announced the completion of the extensive renovation and upgrading of the National Theatre in Lagos. The landmark project, which began in July 2021 after being handed over by the Federal Government, aimed to unlock the creative sector’s potential and provide world-class facilities for the Nigerian youth.
The renovation covered several key areas, including the 4,000-seat main bowl, banquet halls, exhibition spaces, cinemas, VIP lounges, actors’ changing rooms, and more than 300 new toilet cubicles. Additionally, the project upgraded the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, fire safety standards, power supply, and interior design. The National Theatre now boasts cutting-edge audio-visual lighting and stage engineering systems, solar power installations, and new furniture for various spaces.
Speaking during a tour of the monument, Sterling Bank Group’s Managing Director/CEO, Abubakar Suleiman, highlighted the project’s significance as one of the largest of its kind in Africa, emphasizing the importance of patriotism and private-sector responsibility in preserving national monuments.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also praised the renovation, noting that the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts would not only serve as a hub for arts and culture but also as a venue for international conferences and performances.
The National Arts Theatre, constructed by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon and completed in 1976 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, played host to the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77) in January 1977.
