President Bola Tinubu has named the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, after Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, in celebration of his 90th birthday.
This announcement was made in a letter to the literary icon, acknowledging his immense contributions to literature, human rights, and justice.
Tinubu praised Soyinka’s remarkable achievements, including his Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, and his unwavering dedication to human dignity and justice.
He said, “I am pleased to join admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s iconic son and the world-renowned Professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde, famously known as Wole Soyinka.
“Tomorrow the 13th July will be the climax of the series of local and international activities held in his honour. To underscore the global relevance of the literary giant, a symposium, along with poetry reading was held in Rabat Morocco on 9 July. The event was organized by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA).
“Professor Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades as he marks the milestone of 90 years on earth. Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.
“It is also fitting we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with us. I am, accordingly, delighted to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.”
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