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REMARKS BY THE HON. MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI
MOHAMMED, AT THE HANDOVER OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE AND THE SURROUNDING
FALLOW LAND TO THE CENTRAL BANK
OF NIGERIA/BANKERS COMMITTEE IN LAGOS ON SUNDAY, JULY 12TH 2020
PROTOCOL
Today is a historic day in the annals of the Creative Industry in
Nigeria, and I want to start by commending everyone involved in making
the day a reality. My gratitude goes to His Excellency President
Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR; His Excellency Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of
Lagos State, the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday
Dare; the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; the Bankers’
Committee and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information
and Culture, Deaconess Grace Isu Gekpe.
2. May I also commend the entire staff, management and union of the
National Theatre, without whose cooperation we would not have been
here.
3. Please permit me to start off by making a clarification: this
iconic National Theatre remains a national heritage and will not be
ceded to any person or group, as some have chosen to frame what we are
doing here today. What we are here to do is to hand over the National
Theatre for restoration and upgrade and the fallow land within the premises
to the Central Bank and the Bankers’ Committee for development. The
Federal Ministry of
Information and Culture holds the keys to the National Theatre on
behalf of all Nigerians.
4. The Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre Project, a
Public-Private Partnership (PPP), has two phases. Phase 1 is to
restore and upgrade the National Theatre to its glory days at a cost
of 7 billion
Naira, while Phase II will be the development of the fallow land
within the premises of the edifice, at a cost of 18 billion Naira.
Altogether, the project is estimated to cost 25 billion Naira.
5. Another good news is that this project will not lead to a single
job loss. Instead, it will create more. Some 6,000 jobs will be
created during the construction phase, while the completed project
could generate up to an additional 600 permanent and 2000 to 3000
call-on/call-off jobs. This is as good as it gets!
6. Before I go into the details of the two phases, let me say here
that the project, which has been approved by Mr. President, is a
win-win for everyone involved. For over 40 years, no major renovation
work has been done on the National Theatre, while the adjoining land
has been lying fallow. Many attempts to restore the National Theatre
have failed. And the Government has no money to restore the complex.
7. As you know, this is the hub of the Creative Industry in Nigeria.
The National Theatre was established to encourage the advancement of
the performing arts throughout the country; to create opportunities
for performing artists of the country as well as to aid the promotion
of social development and the improvement of the quality of life. In
its present state, it is not living to its billing.
8. But that has not always been the case. Many here will remember
that in its heydays, the National Theatre hosted all Nigerian State
Government functions and performances, including popular musical
extravaganzas such as the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Roy Ayers,
Skyy, Shalamar, Whispers, Third world and Dynasty, as well as major
stage events like Wole Soyinka’s adaptation of D.O Fagunwa’s
Langbodo. Someone even reminded me the other day that Stevie Wonder
once performed at the National Theatre, where he was bestowed with one
of his numerous Grammy Awards.
9. Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, Phase I of this project
will restore the National Theatre to its glory days and make it the
go-to place for blockbuster shows again. Highlights of the first phase
include:
– Upgrade of the theatres (The main halls and cinema halls, conference
and banquet halls, press hall and the bar
– Installation of new seats, upgrade of the sanitary facilities,
installation of lifts, acoustics and specialist lightings .
– The air conditioning, lighting, other power and plumbing will also
be replaced/upgraded to international standards
10. Phase 2 of the project will involve the creation and
implementation of a detailed master plan for the site
adjoining the National Theatre, or the fallow land if you like. The
highlights include:
– Development of purpose-built clusters to provide world class
facilities for Nigeria’s Creative Industry. The new centre will
comprise hubs for: Fashion, Music, Film and Information and Technology
(IT) hub.
– These creative clusters will be supported by other facilities,
including multi-storey parking to accommodate an additional 1,000
cars, a Visitors’ Welcome Centre which will house commercial and
retail facilities, as well as administration and management offices,
among others.
– Both phases will be connected by carefully curated soft and hard
landscape areas as well as waterways, providing an excellent semi and
outdoors spaces for community use and entertainment, including an
amphi-theatre.
– Installation of new infrastructure (roads and services mains) and
upgrade of the existing ones.
11. Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, this – in short – is why
we are here today. Contrary to what naysayers are spinning. no one is
hijacking the National Theatre. It remains our national heritage. This
Public-Private Partnership is a win-win for all. It restores this
iconic edifice to its glory days and develops the land that has been
lying fallow for over four decades, creating massive jobs for our
teeming youths and providing a go-to spot for our teeming population.
12. I therefore enjoin all of us to give our maximum support to this
project so we can bequeath a befitting national heritage to the coming
generations.
13. I thank you all for your kind attention. It is now my honour and
pleasure to hand over this edifice to the Central Bank of Nigeria and
the Bankers’ Committee for necessary restoration and upgrade, and the 134 hectares of
fallow land within the premises for development.
