Federal Government says the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos State, which is under renovation, will be known as Lagos Creative and Entertainment Center, upon completion.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Tuesday in Madrid, Spain while signing an agreement on Nigeria’s hosting of first Global Conference on Cultural Tourism and Creative Industry.
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The bilateral agreement was signed between Nigeria and United Nation World Tourism Organisation at the organisation’s headquarters, News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Mohammed disclosed that the global conference, which would hold from November 14 to 17, would be the first event to be staged at the newly refursbished edifice.
He expressed;
Nigeria will be hosting the event at the National Theatre in Lagos, which is currently being renovated at a cost of 100 million dollars under a partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Bankers’ Committee/Central Bank of Nigeria. It is the first of such renovation of the iconic edifice in over four decades.
Mohammed stressed;
In addition to the renovation, new hubs are being constructed, within the premises of the National theatre, for fashion, Information, technology, film and music. With that, the National Theatre is now known as the Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre.vIn addition, the Lagos surface rail system ,to serve the National Theatre ,will be commissioned ahead of the Global Conference
The Minister stated that the signing of the bilateral agreement signified Nigeria’s commitment to host the event.
He, therefore, directed that the contractors handling the reconstruction project must ensure its prompt delivery for the global event.
Mohammed added that in an effort to ensure that the complex is ready for the hosting in November, he recently undertook an inspection tour of ongoing work there with stakeholders.
The stakeholders on the inspection tour, according to the minister, were Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu; the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele and the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare.
According to the minister, there was every indication that the venue will be ready early enough to host the global conference.
On his part, Nigeria Ambassador to Spain, Mr Ademola Seriki, who said he is a member of Board of Directors of the company handling the reconstruction project, said the edifice would be completed before the global event.
Seriki, who accompanied the minister to the bilateral agreement signing ceremony, thanked the UNWTO for giving Nigeria the right to host the maiden global conference.
He said the conference would bring a huge reputation to the country and assert Nigeria’s lead in music, theatre and other areas of entertainment in Africa.
National Theatre, an iconic centre for performing arts, was established to preserve, present and promote arts and culture in Nigeria.
The construction of the monument was completed in 1976 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture hosted in 1977.
Back in July 2020, Federal Government handed over the National Arts Theatre to the private sector for a complete revamp and modernisation.
The national heritage, sitting on an expansive land in Iganmu area of Lagos, became an eyesore, following years of facility deterioration occasioned by mismanagement and non-maintenance.
The revamping of the monument is being handled by SANEF Creatives Limited.
When completely revamped, cinemas of the modernised National Arts Theatre will now have digital screens and modern lighting system.
Its three exhibition centres and banquet halls would be completely regenerated. It will have a multi-storey car park, ICT incubation centre, cultural and entertainment hubs, including apparel factory, film village, and music hub for young musicians to have opportunity to record.
Via NAN.
