Although the renovation of Nigeria’s iconic National Theatre, now renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, was completed in August 2024, the facility has yet to reopen for public use.
The upgrade, handled by the Bankers’ Committee and completed in August 2024, included major improvements: a 4,000-seater main hall, a 3,000+ capacity banquet space, exhibition halls, cinemas, VIP areas, over 300 toilet cubicles, a clinic, fire station, and more.
The Federal Government approved the handover of the theatre to the Bankers’ Committee in 2021. It was later renamed in honour of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka on his 90th birthday in July 2024.
In March 2025, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso visited the site and emphasised the project’s potential to help grow Nigeria’s creative economy, which he said could generate up to $25 billion.
Despite being fully ready for commercial and corporate use, access to the facility remains restricted. Sources say the delay in reopening is due to the absence of a formal commissioning order from President Bola Tinubu.
High-level meetings have reportedly been held among key stakeholders to prepare for the launch, but for now, a reopening date has yet to be announced.
