Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has explained his decision to accept the renaming of the National Arts Theatre in Lagos after him, an honor he admitted he received with “mixed feelings.”
Speaking at the reopening of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, the professor admitted he had long been a vocal critic of past leaders who appropriated public monuments for personal recognition.
“I have to stand up in public and watch my name being put up as yet another appropriator. It just didn’t seem very well for me,” he confessed.
The Price of Renaming
Soyinka revealed that his acceptance hinged on the massive renovation of the edifice, which he had long considered beyond saving. He stated that he never believed the building could be salvaged, viewing it as “irredeemable” until the recent, monumental revamp carried out by the Bankers’ Committee.
Ultimately, he indicated he was willing to “eat his words” and accept the honor if the dramatic turnaround of the theatre was the required price for the renaming.
What are your thoughts on public monuments being renamed after prominent citizens?
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